Teamwork saves 4-year-old from life-threatening allergic reaction
‘I could not imagine receiving better care than what we had,’ child’s mother says
When a 4-year-old girl had a life-threatening anaphylactic (allergic) reaction in a clinic lobby at University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital, several members of the clinic staff leapt into action, helping to stabilize the girl and providing treatment as quickly as possible.
“Within seconds, a team of what seemed like 20 medical professionals rushed from various departments to help little Theo," says the girl’s mother, Sara Narbaitz, of Pleasant Hill, Calif.
Theodora “Theo” Narbaitz and her mother were in Iowa to visit Sara’s sister, Megan, and her family in Marion. Megan's son had an appointment with an allergist at the Pediatric Specialty Clinic (PSC), and as the appointment was ending, Theo complained that her leg hurt and then began to itch.
“Within minutes, she experienced an anaphylactic response,” Narbaitz says. “Theo tried to make eye contact with me, but her eyes started rolling back in her head.”
The little girl began vomiting and struggled to breathe.
The PSC team got her stabilized and she was admitted overnight.
That response, bringing together physicians, nurses, medical technicians, and more, was not by chance; the team at the PSC have been training in rapid emergency response for the last 18 months and were prepared to act.
Renee McGinnis, MSN, RN, CPN, joined the PSC as clinical practice leader two years ago. She had done some simulation work at the hospital prior to joining the PSC and wanted to bring it to a clinical setting.
“Rapid response emergencies happen more often in an inpatient setting because the patients are admitted for acute health care issues and are more likely to have emergencies,” McGinnis says. “When they’re in a clinic, such as the PSC, a lot of the time they’re being managed on a more chronic basis or are there for follow-up visits. But this highlights that things can still happen, regardless of where you are, so it’s good to know your resources and to be prepared for anything.”
McGinnis researched how best to respond to emergencies in an ambulatory (outpatient) setting such as the PSC, then made it her mission to make it happen.
“I participated in the Advanced Practice Institute through the Advanced Evidence-Based Practice Institute to really do a deep dive into what evidence supports how to respond in this type of setting,” she says. “There was some work that was happening in ambulatory settings, but there wasn’t really a focused effort.”
After six months of research and exploring the possibilities, McGinnis says, clinic staff started training in earnest.
“Starting in January 2023, we started doing simulation training in the clinic,” she says. “We’ve spent a lot of time running emergency response simulations and knowing how to be better prepared for a rapid response.”
She says the team’s response to Theo’s emergency highlights the importance of their training.
“This really was a reflection on our entire team and how everyone can jump in and use those skills that we’ve been practicing,” McGinnis says. “We’re grateful Theo got the care she needed and that she’s OK.”
Theo’s parents are grateful, as well.
“My husband and I feel so fortunate that this happened while Theo was in the allergist’s office at this hospital,” Narbaitz says. “I could not imagine receiving better care than what we had.”
Pediatric allergist and immunologist Diana Bayer, DO, worked with Theo during her initial reaction and after she was admitted. And Theo’s care didn’t stop when she went home.
“After she was released, Dr. Bayer followed Theo’s care back to California, recommending specialists and checking in on her results and recovery,” Narbaitz says. “All aspects of my daughter’s stay were so wonderful, and I am so grateful for the care, respect, and love she was shown while at Stead Family Children’s Hospital.”
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