Tylenol Overdose. The diagnosis of the week it seems. In the past two nights, I have had taken care of 2 boys who have felt desperate enough for attention (love? help?) and used this method to gain it.
Where is the breakdown in communication between parent and child that causes the child to down 10,000mg-15,600mg of Tylenol at once in order to gain attention? Is that even the reason?
In the past two nights, I have had TWO boys with Tylenol OD. Of course, this buys them large bore IVs and IV fluids, multiple lab draws to watch for liver damage, clotting factors, and drug levels in the blood, stomach pumping if it JUST happened, a charcoal slurry if they came in a couple hours within taking the pills, and last but not least MORE pills (liver protectants). If the Tylenol level is high enough in the bloodstream the IV fluids will be replaced with an IV infusion of the same liver protectant.
The attention doesn't stop there. Not only will the medical doctors be visiting often but psychiatrists will make a pit stop, nurses will be coming in the room every hour. ALL of us ask the same question, "Do you want to hurt yourself?" "Do you have plans to hurt yourself?" Oh, and being alone is never an issue. If parents can't stay, then a sitter is provided to watch every move made.
After being cleared medically, the patient is then sent to the psych hospital across the street. There they will enjoy a journey into their mind by one on one sessions and group therapy. Who knows..I'm not a psych nurse, but I'm sure there is some form of self expression activity such as drawing or writing.
I am not going to lie and say I haven't made sarcastic comments about the Tylenol overdoses but I do find it truly sad that these children think they have to take these desperate measures to get the attention they are starving for. Not attention that says "Look what I can do" but the kind that says, "HEY, look at me I'm hurting and if you aren't going to listen to my words, hear my actions!"
However, I am glad that is was "only" Tylenol and not sleeping pills, antidepressants, etc. Also, it reinforces the fact that I am very grateful that my parents were easy to talk to and gave me plenty of POSITIVE reinforcement as I grew up. As socially inept as I sometimes felt, I knew that I still had self worth because my parents (especially Mom) helped me to build my self esteem on talents and skills I had, NOT attention from others.
Where is the breakdown in communication between parent and child that causes the child to down 10,000mg-15,600mg of Tylenol at once in order to gain attention? Is that even the reason?
In the past two nights, I have had TWO boys with Tylenol OD. Of course, this buys them large bore IVs and IV fluids, multiple lab draws to watch for liver damage, clotting factors, and drug levels in the blood, stomach pumping if it JUST happened, a charcoal slurry if they came in a couple hours within taking the pills, and last but not least MORE pills (liver protectants). If the Tylenol level is high enough in the bloodstream the IV fluids will be replaced with an IV infusion of the same liver protectant.
The attention doesn't stop there. Not only will the medical doctors be visiting often but psychiatrists will make a pit stop, nurses will be coming in the room every hour. ALL of us ask the same question, "Do you want to hurt yourself?" "Do you have plans to hurt yourself?" Oh, and being alone is never an issue. If parents can't stay, then a sitter is provided to watch every move made.
After being cleared medically, the patient is then sent to the psych hospital across the street. There they will enjoy a journey into their mind by one on one sessions and group therapy. Who knows..I'm not a psych nurse, but I'm sure there is some form of self expression activity such as drawing or writing.
I am not going to lie and say I haven't made sarcastic comments about the Tylenol overdoses but I do find it truly sad that these children think they have to take these desperate measures to get the attention they are starving for. Not attention that says "Look what I can do" but the kind that says, "HEY, look at me I'm hurting and if you aren't going to listen to my words, hear my actions!"
However, I am glad that is was "only" Tylenol and not sleeping pills, antidepressants, etc. Also, it reinforces the fact that I am very grateful that my parents were easy to talk to and gave me plenty of POSITIVE reinforcement as I grew up. As socially inept as I sometimes felt, I knew that I still had self worth because my parents (especially Mom) helped me to build my self esteem on talents and skills I had, NOT attention from others.
