I'm so glad I found this. I work on a covid unit and our hospitalist's are extremely reluctant to use opioids in any respiratory failure patient. Most new nurses I work with don't seem to understand the relationship between opioids and the respiratory drive. I educate whenever I can, and also push for a low dose narcotic anyway if I see my patient 'working', or having those terrible coughing fits. Anything to decrease work of breath, help them sleep, and conserve their energy early on is crucial. Breathing just becomes so tiring. I experienced it myself when I had the dz a few month's ago.
I'm so glad I found this. I work on a covid unit and our hospitalist's are extremely reluctant to use opioids in any respiratory failure patient. Most new nurses I work with don't seem to understand the relationship between opioids and the respiratory drive. I educate whenever I can, and also push for a low dose narcotic anyway if I see my patient 'working', or having those terrible coughing fits. Anything to decrease work of breath, help them sleep, and conserve their energy early on is crucial.
Breathing just becomes so tiring. I experienced it myself when I had the dz a few month's ago.