Name that THING
You’re patient is post-op Norwood and PD cycling. After dwelling time is complete, you put your PD to drain, but nothing drains. While troubleshooting, your chest tube output increases & changes from bloody to serous.
Notify your provider, chest tube sample should be drawn and sent for glucose check (don’t test using glucometer). In this scenario, the patient needed an x-ray.
Your pt is post-Glenn, and starts breathing over the vent (tachypnea). Starts to desaturate first and then becomes hypotensive. Why?
CO2 levels drop d/t tachypnea. CO2 dilates vessels in brain. Glenns require permissive hypercapnia for blood flow into the lungs.
You have a s/p day 3 Glenn patient who started trophic feeds the shift prior. Pt is de-escalating and sedation is being weaned. Chest tube output increases & changes to cloudy serous/white from serosanguinous. What do you suspect?
Chylous effusion