Progress During the Emergency
Department Stay
Throughout her stay in the ED, the patient’s blood pressure remained
elevated despite administration of 0.1mg clonidine by
mouth and 20mg diltiazem intravenously. Her mentation was
consistently altered until after her admission to the Intensive
Care Unit. A potassium chloride drip was initiated immediately
after the panic value was discovered. Once potassium
was completed, magnesium was initiated to be infused, as well
as a fluid bolus of 0.9 normal saline followed by a maintenance
rate of 100 ml/hr.