One day in the frantic life of a Children's Minnesota emergency room nurse

Apr 29, 20240

Leila Navidi, Star Tribune count

Registered nurse Joe Schwartz, from right, finds a vein to start an IV with the help of RN Shanna Jorgenson for patient Juliana Jones, 10, as her mother Kelly Jones, sits by her bedside in the Emergency Department at Children's Hospital in St. Paul on March 27.

It's not exactly a superpower, but nurse Joe Schwartz can tell with his nose what is causing his patient in the Children's hospital emergency department in St. Paul to look so weak, so bony thin.

When 10-year-old Juliana Jones says hello, Schwartz smells a sharp odor, like fruit gone bad, on her breath. It suggests acid buildup in her body, which likely means a dangerous complication from undiagnosed diabetes.

"My sniffer is pretty good," he says. "It's where I think we are headed."

https://www.startribune.com/one-day-in-the-frantic-life-of-a-childrens-hospital-emergency-room-nurse/600362257/