Today I cared for a patient with advanced stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). After the morning inhalation, she noticed a strong shortness of breath and severe chest pain. I showed her some exercises to breath better, but it helped only little. In consultation with the assistant doctor I checked her vital signs. Everything was fine, except her pulse. It was almost 120 beats per minute. A healthy adult should have a pulse between 60 to 100 at rest.
As further procedure and to exclude a heart attack the doctor ordered an electrocardiogram (ECG), some blood samples and a thoracic X-ray.
After all, it seemed that everything was okay and we shouldn't worry about a heart attack. But further diagnostic investigation is still going on. Hopefully it'll be without consequences, as the patient wants to go to a pulmonary rehabilitation.
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Becoming a nurse
Short StoryThis is a story collection out of the daily life of a Swiss nursing student. The aim is to share experiences with others. It may be a base for medical discussion. Note: It doesn't matter where you start. The stories are all independent.
