Scary night at dialysis

[houndawg]

Tonight as we were leaving another patient, Rob, was getting in his car when he said "help, I'm bleeding - it's pouring."  I ran into the unit and pressed the bell over and over until finally one of the nurses came out and started yelling at me because they were taking patients off.  I explained about the guy in the car.  We both went out.  By that time blood was pouring out his fistula all down his car and onto the parking lot.  You could actually hear the blood pouring on to the ground.  The nurse ran back got a wheel chair and called for help.  By the time they actually were able to help him he could not stand.  The blood on the car and ground looked like someone had been shot.  I wanted to clean the car but my hubby insisted that I not clean up the blood.  Finally, I closed the door and we left.  There was nothing more I could do.  If we had not left the same time he could have bled to death before someone else came out.  I'm really upset and wonder how this can happen?  What can a patient do to make sure this doesn't happen to him?    Houndawg

[gothiclovemonkey]

um... was the dude incapable of applying pressure to his access??

I have had mine um...pop? open a few times, you just apply pressure just like you would after treatment... should make it stop, after some time. I think they say 5 mins... if it doesnt after that you should seek assistance..

[Jean]

God that must have been scary. I dont suppose you know yet if they were able to make it stop. I certainly hope so.

[kporter85db]

um... was the dude incapable of applying pressure to his access??

I have had mine um...pop? open a few times, you just apply pressure just like you would after treatment... should make it stop, after some time. I think they say 5 mins... if it doesnt after that you should seek assistance..

I don't do Hemo, but it seems rather obvious if blood is pouring out of any part of my body the first thing I would do is apply pressure to it to try to stop the bleeding. And shouldn't the nurse have done that too instead of going to get a wheelchair? She should have attended to that wound and sent someone else to get more help and a wheelchair.

That's just unbelievable!

[gothiclovemonkey]

the very first week of dialysis i ever had, i left, went thru drive thru to pick up my sons dinner, and sneezed, i began feeling a bit wet, i looked at the sky thinking, must be raining, when my roommate screamed, it was my arm gushing, i applied some pressure and it stopped...
its common sense, i think....
I know there are some poeple who arent capable of doing that, for whatever reason, though...
Also, in the intensity of the moment, some people panic, but if you keep your cool everything will be fine.

[cattlekid]

The first day I used my fistula in the training center, my training nurse sent me home with gauze and tape for in the car.  She said to just keep it in the glove compartment because you never know when you might need it.  Well, I kind of pish-poshed her suggestion but it's there anyhow.  Reading these stories, I'm gald I didn't ignore her!

[houndawg]

Rob, the patient, is an old timer at dialysis.  As soon as he felt wetness he applied pressure and continued until help came.  the pressure did not stop it.  It was pouring out all around his hand.  when the nrse got out there it was pouring so fast you could hear it hitting the pavement.  I consider the nurse a complete jerk.  He was too busy being annoyed that I rang the bell non stop to get help while they were getting patients off machnes.  Also the first thing out of the nurse's mouth was "what did you do?".  My hubby said the nurse that was working with this patient ad been there about four months and makes alot of careless mistakes.  I've never heard my hubby conplain about anything - I complain enough for both of us.  Houndawg