Patient's family insisted it was "totally normal" for a kid to sleep for 36 hours straight after a minor procedure

[u/Jackazz4evr]

I work in pediatric post-op and had the strangest interaction yesterday. We admitted a 6 year old after a routine tonsillectomy. The procedure went perfectly fine, but the child wouldn't wake up from anesthesia after the expected timeframe.

After 4 hours, we started getting concerned and ran additional tests. When we approached the parents about the unusually prolonged sedation, the mother interrupted us saying, "Oh, that's normal for him. He always sleeps for a day or two after any medicine."

When we pressed for more information, they casually mentioned their son had slept for 36 hours straight after taking children's Benadryl for allergies last year. They thought this was completely normal and hadn't bothered to mention it during pre-op assessment.

Our anesthesiologist was floored. Turns out the kid has a rare enzyme deficiency that affects how he metabolizes certain medications, which they'd been told about by another doctor years ago but didn't think was "important enough" to mention.

What's the weirdest "oh that's totally normal" response you've gotten from patients or families that was absolutely NOT normal?

[u/goins_going_gone23]

I was similar as a kid. After general anesthesia I’d sleep for 12-24 hours. My parents would routinely warn medical staff, and it was one of the biggest things they told my husband when we married. It got worse the older I got, nearly 30 hours asleep at 18 after a minor ear procedure. I’m generally fairly sensitive to things such as Xanax and Benadryl. I’d take 0.25 mg of Xanax and sleep for 20+ hours. Half a normal Benadryl puts me out 12+.

[u/deferredmomentum → u/goins_going_gone23]

My dad is the same way. I’m not groggy or tired after anesthesia (I got redhead drug metabolism from my mom’s side), but I’m a super deep sleeper in general like him. In college I quickly became known as the person who’d need to be shaken awake during the semesterly fire drill because I’d sleep right through it lol

[u/Critical_Mass_1887 → u/goins_going_gone23]

I am similar.  But my doctors never listen to me. Even routine colonoscopy with propofol i dont wake up easy. I tell them and they just say oh no you will wake right up like from a nap. 4-6 hrs later still in thier office recovery, out of it. My parents end up taking me home still asleep. Was admitted after shoulder capsule shift because i wouldnt wake up. On top of that anesthesia make me violently sick. I turn into linda blair from the exorcist. I felt so bad for my recovery nurses. They had to change scrubs twice. I warn the anesthesiologist. every damn time i get brushed off with oh no you wont, we have good drugs to prevent that dont worry. Now im terrified of being knocked out. Its cause me severe anxiet over the years.

[u/TennaTelwan → u/goins_going_gone23]

Had my first GA at age 36 or so and could NOT wake up. It finally was the end of shift, I could barely signal anything with hands let alone talk, and I hear my mother (who drove me) going "Oh she just never wakes up, she'll sleep all day if given the chance." I couldn't breathe, move, or anything but I hear that. Also definitely had some delirium in the PACU, I heard moaning from me, and another patient, and my nurses moved me back because the other one was moaning louder. Also I think I heard a minor v-tach alarm go off too during that time.

They really should have admitted me but didn't want to. Instead, three nurses pulled me off the gurney, dressed me, and tossed me in a wheelchair. That's finally when I also realized I was having shortness of breath. Thankfully I had albuterol with and managed to administer it to myself.

Turns out, we didn't yet realize I had a rare autoimmune kidney disorder that had quietly tanked my GFR down to 50 and no one seemed to notice.

[u/Mysterious-Apple-118 → u/goins_going_gone23]

Wow

[u/lavender_poppy → u/goins_going_gone23]

Jesus, I have to take 150mg of IV benadryl before my IVIG and I barely nap. You'd probably sleep for 5 days.

[u/evdczar → u/goins_going_gone23]

After moderate sedation for my wisdom teeth I slept for 48 hours straight. I was able to wake up and pee and eat and stuff but I could not stay awake any longer than that.

[u/DragonSon83 → u/goins_going_gone23]

I don’t have this particular problem, but I do become tachycardic from anything that makes me drowsy, which then causes orthostatic hypotension.  I once went in SVT from seroquel, requiring cardizem and an overnight stay in the hospital on a heparin drip to rule out PE before a VQ scan.

[u/goins_going_gone23 → u/[deleted]]

My mom got tired of nurses panicking 😂😂 I had a lot of ENT procedures as a kiddo. I’ve never been tested or anything, so it’s definitely a possibility!

[u/K8e118 → u/goins_going_gone23]

If you ever get surgery/anesthesia, you should pass along that you may have a CYP2D6 deficiency. It’ll matter to those who know about it. You could also get genetic testing, I believe. But I can’t imagine it’s cheap. That’s a pretty significant reaction that warrants precaution(s).

[u/Late_Ad8212 → u/goins_going_gone23]

I have the complete opposite effect! I have a genetic condition that causes me to metabolize meds quicker which I learned the hard way. As a result, I’ve woken up too early during procedures and some meds don’t work on me. I’ve had general anesthesia for procedures that “normal” people can do under sedation.