Emily Chemotherapy Case Study

Emily was born on February 24th, 2004 into a happy and loving family. She was the youngest of two other siblings, Nate and Katherine. She was diagnosed with a yolk sac tumor in her abdomen at only 1 ½ years of age. (Jerry, C.) A yolk sac tumor is also known as an endodermal sinus tumor. They are usually benign but in Emily’s case, it was malignant. Even with a malignant yolk sac tumor, the prognosis is highly treatable. (Know Cancer) The little toddler underwent months of surgeries and testing. She endured grueling chemotherapy treatments that lasted for five days at a time. Finally, one of her MRI’s showed her tumor had disappeared and showed no scar tissue. Emily was scheduled to undergo one more chemotherapy session on February 26th to rid of any last traces her tumor may have left behind. (Jerry, C.) At 4:30 P.M., a nurse administered a solution of sodium chloride through her IV while Emily was napping. She was awoken feeling very tired and weak struggling to sit up. She was holding her head complaining of pain. She became suddenly thirsty and within minutes, she was
Side effects include feeling generally ill, diarrhea, stomach cramps, thirst, sweating, headaches, weakness, and coma. If an overdose occurs, it can cause all the above and more. There aren’t many contraindications for using this medication except corticosteroids which may increase the side effects. (Sodium chloride solution: Indications, Side Effects, Warnings) Excessive use of sodium chloride or excessive intake can lead to heart disease, gastric cancer, and diabetes. (Sodium Chloride) There are many ways to try and prevent this from happening in the future. Nurses should not prepare a custom bag of sodium chloride solution unless ordered by a physician. You should not use the sodium chloride solution if it has particles in it or is discolored in any way. Also check to ensure there is no leak in the bag and it is securely