Nausea Resolved in 20 Minutes Without the Oral Route
Since the oral route was no longer effective, we had to figure out another route of medication delivery to get the patient comfortable. We decided the try the Macy Catheter.
Kay’s Nursing Background and Introduction to the Macy Catheter
My name is Kay and I have been a nurse since 1998. I have a wide variety of nursing experience in the ICU, emergency, operating room and home care settings.
I’ve been doing hospice nursing for three years. Sometimes, we are unable to get patients as comfortable as we would like if they cannot swallow oral medications.
We recently had an in-service about the Macy Catheter, so I was excited to use it and see if it really worked as well as it did in some of the stories I heard.
Intestinal Obstruction Renders Patient Miserable
I was the on-call nurse for a 73 year-old male patient diagnosed with an intestinal obstruction related to a malignant colon polyp.
Initially, he was able to swallow medications, but within a few days he could not take oral medications and vomited within seconds of taking anything,
including sips of water. He had excruciating pain in the lower abdomen rated at 10 on a scale of 0 to 10.
He could not carry on a conversation, was moaning, and needed to lie in the fetal position due to the pain.
Overcoming Rectal Route Stigma
Since the oral route was no longer effective, we had to figure out another route of medication delivery to get the patient comfortable. We decided the try the Macy Catheter.
The patient was concerned about whether or not it would hurt when I put it in. I explained that it was a small tube and would not hurt.
After I inserted the catheter, he asked, ”Is it in yet?”
He did not feel the catheter at all, either during insertion or once it was in. We administered Haldol (1 mg) and liquid morphine (20 mg) and I told him he should have relief very shortly.
Improving Patient Care with the Macy Catheter
Within 20 minutes, he was lying flat, comfortable, and able to sleep. His vomiting and pain stopped. It was amazing to watch. The caregiver, a friend of the family, was also amazed and couldn’t believe how fast it worked.
We both watched him become comfortable in minutes. He was even able to speak and sit up.
It was very easy to use. I showed the caregiver how to give medications.
She was very comfortable with it and grateful that the patient didn’t have to suffer any more pain.
The patient passed peacefully in the next 24 hours. I highly recommend using the Macy Catheter and am planning to continue using the device to improve my practice.
