Ventilatory Support Reflection

In 2013, I had one of the most difficult experience when I had to speak out be the patient advocate and sacrifices the parent’s trust. I received a 5 year-old female who was who had a primary diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma that metastasized to the liver and lungs. She was admitted to the PICU after developing a seizure in the oncology unit which required resuscitation. She was on ventilatory support to promote hemodynamic stability. Furthermore, both the primary oncology and PICU teams decided to defers the neurological investigation until she stable to tolerate weaning of sedation and ventilatory support. The family did not agree with the decision, but did not discuss their concerns with the health care providers. At the patient bed side, the mother talk to me and her husband about a traditional treatment that involve burning the patient with (Kaiy) Cautery knife.

They state that they do not want to do it, but they have to try everything. Despite my efforts to demonstrate understanding of their helplessness feeling and explain both the risks and lack of scientific data; they were determined to use it. Then, I address that issue to the incharge nurse to report it to the PICU team. PICU health care provider formulate a meeting with the family to inform them that Cauterization treatment is against the hospital policy. No one whether a health care provider or an outside traditional healer allowed to perform that unsafe and harmful measure within the hospital setting. At that night, the family brought a person who called a traditional healer under false pretenses that he was the grandfather. During my morning assessment, I found burning marks on the patient’s head, neck and