12^th Nursing and Healthcare Congress

Biography

Biography: Juli Verkler

Abstract

This article focuses on an actual patient case that presented to a Level II Trauma Center within the United States of America. The patient was a normally healthy 26 year old female, who happened to be approximately twenty-four weeks pregnant. She was in respiratory distress and was immediately treated aggressively for H1N1 influenza virus. Throughtout her emergency department course, the patient was placed on BiPap and stabilized. However, once she was transferred to the intensive care unit, she massively decompensated. Ethic considerations were in place for both the patient and her unborn fetus. The patient was intubated, sedated and ventilated as she was placed on the appropriate antibiotics. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support was suggested in the event that the patient continued to decompensate. As a result of the H1NI virus, the patient became severely hypoxemic, was in respiratory alkalosis, and hypokalemic. Her liver enzyme levels were significantly elevated which correlates specifically with the 2009 pandemic strain of the H1N1 disease. The patient’s course of treatment was also complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome. At approximately 32 weeks, the baby was delivered via Cesarean section and had a good outcome. After 2 months of hospitalization the patient was discharged home. In conclusion, the patient did not receive her yearly influenza vaccination.