VSim #3- Doris Bowman Case. Answered. A Graded.

1. How did the scenario make you feel? I really enjoyed the scenario with patient Doris Bowman. Doris is a 39-year old female who underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy. This is the removal of the cervix, ovaries, uterus, and fallopian tubes. She tolerated the procedure well. Doris has an abdominal incision covered with a 4x4 gauze dressing and there is no drainage. I was in charge of caring for Mrs. Bowman in the PACU, which is where a patient remains until they recover from the effects of anesthesia, is oriented, and has stable vital signs with no evidence of complications. I started by checking Doris’s vital signs. When asked about pain she replied, “It’s pretty bad, I’d give it a 6.” I then gave her a 2mg dose of Morphine. She immediately started developing respiratory depression. Her breaths decreased from 21 to 8 breaths per minute. I screamed for help, ventilation was started at a rate of 2, and she was administered 0.2mg of naloxone IV. This is given to reverse the effect of the morphine. The ventilator was stopped when I saw Doris begin to breathe normally. This was the appropriate thing to do. 2. What further intervention would have been required if naloxone hydrochloride (Narcan) had not been effective in this case? If the first dose of naloxone hydrochloride was not effective within 2-5 minutes. Another dose should be given. Repeated doses may be necessary if a person is still showing signs of overdose even after the first dose. Narcan will not hurt you- it only affects people who are using opioids. Rescue breathing should also be done while waiting for the naloxone to take effect. If a victim is not responsive to stimulation, not breathing, and has no pulse after receiving naloxone and rescue breathing, then the victim needs cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) via a trained bystander and the emergency medical system.