Posted on 06/07/2007 6:15:26 AM PDT by 60Gunner
I can’t begin to imagine how hard it is working on the firing line, just sitting here and reading was almost more than I could handle.
I can deal with a lot, but sick or hurting kids just kill me.
To all the guys and gals in the ER, G_d Bless You and keep you strong.
Thanks for the story. From it and the some of the comments I now understand what took my mother’s sister from this earth when she was just 4 years old.
Good work.
The little ones always stay with you.
Epiglottitis is what caused the swelling. It is an infection of the epiglottis (the flap that closes your trachea when you swallow so food doesn’t go down the wrong tube). It’s worse in kids because their tracheas are so much smaller. It happens in adults too, but kids get the worst of it.
Had a few of these in OR. We often would wind up doing a trach in a hurry while others were doing cut downs on the ankles to push fluids.
Woo-hoo! I love happy endings!
But please put me on your ER nurse stries ping list.
I really enjoy reading your writings.
You are back on the list. I don’t know what happened. Thanks for letting me know!
/gunner
Well, it is slightly different for dogs:
Regulation of respiratory airflow during panting and feeding in the dog.
Biewener AA, Soghikian GW, Crompton AW.
Cineradiographic study of the movement patterns of oropharyngeal and laryngeal structures during breathing and panting in dogs, correlated with recordings of expiratory and inspiratory airflow patterns (via thermocouples) at the nose and mouth show that the soft palate is the principal structural component regulating the path of respiratory in these animals. Cyclical movements of the soft palate during panting are accompanied by complementary movements of the posterior dorsum of the tongue (and epiglottis) to open and to close alternately the oropharynx and nasopharynx. The epiglottis appears to play a passive role during changes in airflow direction; its movements at this time being closely coupled to movements of the posterior tongue and hyoid. The dogs did not breathe during lapping or mastication, indicating the loss of functional separation of respiratory and feeding activities - a role traditionally held for the evolution of a secondary palate in mammals. Food stored in the posterior region of the oral cavity was observed to obstruct airflow via the nasopharynx during food transport and breakdown. Respiration commenced only after the food bolus had been swallowed. We suggest that specializations of the soft palate and epiglottis in dogs for thermal panting appear to restrict the formation of an adequate oropharyngeal seal during feeding.
Publication Types:
Research Support, U.S. Gov’t, P.H.S.
I love your stories. Can you add me to your ping list?
Thank you for sharing this experience. If any of my children are ever in such dire circumstances, I hope they have an ER nurse exactly like you treating them. Thank you for your service.
Can you add me to your ping list.........
I have much respect for RN’s and ER’s
Keep up the excellent posting!
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