Nurses hampered from administering life-saving drugs
Matthew Vella
Nurses who spoke to MaltaToday on the brewing unrest with Mater Dei authorities said they are being faced with life-threatening situations aboard ambulances, because they are unable to administer life-saving drugs at critical moments.
Emergency ambulance services are usually manned by a qualified nurse and a porter, but nurses say they are prohibited from alleviating life-threatening situations, such as in the event of a cardiac arrest.
They told this newspaper that while international protocols outline adrenaline as a first-line drug to be administered in the event of a cardiac arrest, ambulance nurses cannot give this drug to patients.
“Imagine having a CPR to try make the heart work again for a patient in Mellieha who needs adrenaline, that could possibly bring the patient back to life: we cannot give this drug,” nurses who preferred to remain unnamed told this newspaper.
They also said a small dose of adrenaline could help patients suffering from severe allergic reactions, such as in case of a swelling of the tongue, mouth and air passages. “Sometimes, all they need is the administration of a small dose of adrenaline in their muscle to help them out. Patients with chronic allergies can carry a pre-filled syringe with adrenaline so that they could administer it to themselves. But nurses can do nothing… simply stare at the patient until they could possibly choke to death along the way to hospital.”
They said that in the event of a child having an epileptic fit, the only drug that can stop the attack is Valium.
“Nurses cannot administer this drug. The brain would be crying out for help during a fit and the damage done to the brain is great. All we can do on an ambulance is look after the child and pray that the fit will stop.
“What is ironic is that consultants suggest to parents to have Valium at home to stop these fits when they occur. So while untrained parents can administer Valium freely, a qualified nurse with experience in dealing with these situations cannot even administer it.”
The nurses said their pleas have been falling on deaf ears. “We face very anxious parents in these situations, where parents expect the ambulance crew to help their child, but all we can do is stare at the patient!”
The nurses dispelled press reports in which doctors warned that administering Valium without doctors’ order could lead to death.
“If it was a killer, doctors would not give Valium to parents to give to their children. Valium only kills people in high doses, and only then it slows down the respiratory rate until it slowly kills the overdosing victim.”
The nurses also said they are unable to administer painkillers in ambulances to patients suffering from fractures. “There are very safe painkillers, with limited contraindications in the case of chest or head injuries, diving incidents or intestine problems. Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) has been used abroad in ambulances for years. What are we waiting to introduce inside ambulances?”
Another example cited by the nurses was the use of Ventolin in the case of an asthma attack, which they said they could not administer inside the ambulance.
The nurses also complained that plans to have a department solely catering for an ambulance service have still not taken place, one year after the migration to Mater Dei.
“This department should have its own nurses, ported and drivers, and be autonomous from the rest of the emergency department. The plans were clear before the migration process. But none of this has yet happened. A nurse has been given the post of ‘manager’ but there are no nurses designated under the manager’s remit.”
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