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Having access to a respirator may be important for life or death for some severely ill patients for 19 years.
These devices help transport oxygen to the lungs and remove carbon dioxide when injured people cannot do it themselves.
But in many medical centers, all patients are lacking, therefore medical teams difficult decision about who to stop treatment,
“Disabling a respirator is very traumatic and causes emotional pain. Sometimes I feel that I am responsible for the death of this person, ”says Juanita Nittla.
Juanita Nittla Many hospitals, such as Royal Free in London, had to increase the capacity of beds in the intensive care unit.
She is the Head of Nursing at the ICU at Royal Free University Hospital, London, UK.
Born in India, Juanita Nittla has been with the British National Health Service (NHS) for 16 years as an intensive care nurse.
“Disconnect respirators this is part of my job“The 42-year-old nurse tells the BBC.
Last wish
One morning, in the second week of April, as soon as her shift began, the intensive care unit doctors told Nittle that she would have to stop treating the patient with covid-19.
The victim was 50-year-old nurse from a public health centerand Nittle had to talk with her daughter about what process they were going to follow.
“I assured her that her mother was not suffering and that she seemed calm. I also asked her about her last wishes and the religious needs of her mother. ”
In the intensive care unit, the beds are next to each other. Her terminally ill patient was surrounded by other unconscious people.
“I was in a compartment with eight beds. All patients were very ill. I closed the curtains and turned off all the alarms. “
The medical team also stopped for a moment.
Juanita Nittla “We’re scared,” admits Juanita Nittla, in the middle of a photograph with two colleagues.
“The nurses stopped talking. The dignity and peace of our patients is our priority, ”says Nittla.
Then he brought the phone to the patient’s ear and asked his daughter to speak with him.
“For me it was just a call. But for the family it was very important. They wanted to make a video call, but, unfortunately, cell phones are not allowed inside the ICU. ”
shutdown
Following the requests of the patient’s family, Nittla played a specific music video from the computer.
then turned off the fan
“I sat next to him on the bed, holding his hand until he died,” he says.
Juanita Nittla Nittla’s team gathers hands before each move to gain strength.
The decision to stop breathing and treatment is made by medical teams only after careful consideration. This takes into account factors such as the patient’s age, previous medical conditions and the possibility of recovery.
The patient died after five minutes. since Nittla turned off the fan.
“I saw flashing lights on the monitor, and the heart rate reached zero; a flat line appeared on the screen, ”says Nittla.
Die alone
Then she turned off the tubes that delivered the sedatives.
The patient’s daughter did not know about the disconnection process and continued to talk with her mother and pray on the phone.
Juanita Nittla Because of the pandemic, nurses like Nittl rarely rest during shifts.
It painfully Knittle picked up the phone to tell her that It was all over.
The nurse claims that her patient care work does not end when the patient dies.
“With the help of a colleague, I put it on the bed, wrapped it in a white shroud and put it in a body bag. I put a cross on her forehead before closing my bag, ”she told the BBC. ,
Getty Images fans help critically ill patients with Covid-19.
In the days leading up to the appearance of coronavirus, family members should have personally talked with doctors about the decision to discontinue treatment of the patient.
Even the closest relatives were allowed access to the intensive care unit until the patients were turned off.
but not allowed now in most of the world.
“It’s sad to see someone die alone,” says Nittla.
The nurse saw the patients struggle and gasp, and it was “very difficult to watch.”
No bed
Due to the massive admission of patients, the intensive care unit of the hospital has expanded its beds from 34 to 60. All of them are now occupied.
The intensive care unit currently has 175 nurses.
“Usually in this department we maintain the ratio of one nurse per patient. Now this is one nurse for every three. If the situation worsens, then there will be one nurse for every six patients“says Nittla.
Some of the nurses on his team suffered symptoms and are now in isolation. The hospital is teaching other nurses to serve the intensive care unit.
AFM Many patients die alone in the intensive care unit because family members cannot enter.
“Before the start of the shift, we grab our hands and we say get well. We follow each other and make sure everyone wears gloves, masks and protective equipment correctly, ”says Nittla.
There is a shortage of ventilators, infusion pumps, oxygen cylinders and many drugs. However, his hospital has enough protective material for all the equipment.
ICU records one death per dayabove average trend to pandemic.
“This is discouraging,” Nittla regrets.
As a senior nurse, you sometimes have to suppress your fears.
“I have nightmares. I have trouble sleeping. I’m worried about catching him, we are talking about this among colleagues, and we are all scared, ”he admits.
The latter was out of work for several months because he contracted tuberculosis. Know that his lung capacity is weakened.
“People tell me that I should not work. But this is a pandemic and this is my job“When the shift ends, I think of patients who have died, but I try to disconnect when I leave the hospital,” concludes Nittla.
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