Doctor's Orders

53. Hypothermia

It was mid-January and we were in the middle of a cold snap. Schools had even closed because of the sub-zero temperatures. I made sure to wear my long-sleeved Cuddl Duds under my scrubs because I got cold far too easily. 

And so I was off and running first thing in the morning. To be honest, I had heard other nurses talk about the occasional lull in activity they occasionally experienced, but I felt like I never slowed down. My first patient was an elderly homeless woman with possible frostbite due to the bitter temperatures. I realized that we would likely have a steady stream of homeless folks due to the weather. 

My next patient was brought in by ambulance. Her records indicated that she had just been discharged four days ago after a spinal fusion. "Hi, Joann," I greeted her with a smile. "You're not supposed to be back here," I teased. "They just let you go." 

She gave me a tired smile. "Something's wrong," she said. "Of course I can't see the surgery site very well myself, and my husband doesn't change the dressings, so he hasn't been able to look at it. My daughter was going to come today to do it, but I thought I'd better come here first."

"Is it hurting more than when they discharged you?" I asked, digging for a gown in the cabinet. 

"Terribly. Even the narcotics don't knock it out," she said in sarcastic laughter. "My husband should be here soon. Will he be able to find me?" 

"Yep, one of the nurses will bring him right back here." I handed her the gown, but then I asked, "You'll probably need a little help with this, won't you?" Her soft yes came as I was already helping her. We quickly got her into her gown and then I pulled away the dressing to look at her sutures. They were red and swollen, just like I suspected. I could also feel that her skin was hot, even through the exam glove.

"102.5," I announced after I took her temperature. "Looks like you have an infection. Dr. Styles will be in shortly to take a closer look, all right? Do you need anything else before I go? Some ice water?"

"Ice water, please," she said as if she'd been craving it for a month. I knew better than to offer her a warmed blanket, for obvious reasons. Sometimes patients with a fever felt cold and chills, but unfortunately, we couldn't offer them a blanket even then, so I was glad she didn't ask.

I was surprised to find Bridget in the hallway. "Hey, girl, you don't normally work the day shift." 

"Picking up some extra hours," she said with no further explanation. 

"Well, it's fun to see your face," I said, giving her a cheesy grin. "Good luck in Room 5, by the way. Sounds like you've got a screamer." 

"Great," she said playfully and headed off in that direction.

Next, I found Quinn, who had also come in by ambulance. "Hi, I'm Ellie," I said by way of introduction. "You must be Quinn. That's a fantastic name. Looks like you injured your leg?"