A bleep on the radar screen

After a week of calm at work (thanks in part to the end of the school year), yesterday we got a poor little baby girl who came in with a complaint of cyanosis and limp limbs.

The baby was breathing just fine, but just one look at her told you there was something very very wrong with her. When you would lift her up to move her around in the crib, it was all dead weight. We immediately got to working on her.

We did a bedside glucose check, and the results were appalling. She had a blood sugar of 497, aka CRITICAL HIGH. The normal limits are betwen 70 and 120.

We drew blood on her and I ran it to the lab myself to make sure the lab technicians ran the tests as soon as possible; every minute wasted was a minute too much. Luckily, they pulled through and we had results within 15 minutes for the electrolytes and complete blood count.

Her white blood cell count was fine, which ruled out the possibility of the baby being septic; her electrolytes, however, were completely out of whack. She was going into hypovolemic shock.

It turns out she had diabetes. I wasn't aware that such a young baby (6 months old) could develop diabetes. After inquiring with one of the attending doctors, he told me that babies usually present with diabetes as a result of a viral illness or infection. Interesting. I learned something new, but it's a shame that I had to learn it at the expense of a precious life in danger.
I wish I would have read that in a book somewhere instead of having to experience it hands on.

Although I hate working weekends, this one wasn't so bad. I think it has alot to do with the fact that now I see some light at the end of the tunnel, and the reality of not having to be there forever is finally shining through. Now that I know I will soon be moving on to bigger and better things, work doesn't seem as bad as it used to.