"Mag Sulfate" Mystery!
Magnesium Sulfate is often quite effective in slowing contractions. This young female, who was 23 weeks gravid, was supposed to be on a "Mag" drip when I arrived at the hospital. The Premature Contraction protocol on the nursing station wall also reflected just that. She was in no distress and waiting to be transferred to UMC in Fresno, California. After receiving a turnover from the patient's nurse, I and my partner Paul, went over to her bedside to transfer her onto our gurney. As I did a quick physical assessment, I also checked what solutions she had in her IV; Normal Saline, as well as wait, what, Potassium Chloride (K+Cl‾)?! I went back over to the protocol on the wall to confirm the medication, "Magnesium Sulfate" is what it said. I then bee-lined over to the patient's nurse and told her of the discrepancy. After I saw a silent expletive come from her mouth, without saying a word she jumped up and hurried to the patient's bedside, confirmed my findings, stopped and disconnected the (K+Cl‾), went over the closet, pulled out a Magnesium Sulfate piggyback, returned to the patient, plugged it in, reset and restarted the pump. She sincerely thanked me. Paul and I then continued our transfer.
