I hope someone can relate and help in my recovery. I spent my one week anniversary of my mostly straight forward ablation procedure yesterday in the local hospital ER Department, after insistence by my remote doctor that I “be seen”. I had continued bleeding from one of my entry sites, had some fever, general fatigue, shortness of breath, and overall malaise.
The care in my local ER was as usual slow at first, as it is the draw for everything and everyone in my part of New England, and a busy teaching hospital, However once seen the care was thorough and deep. Not satisfied with fixing my wound bleed, which they eventually did after assuring no vein damage ,but rather several small hematomas, using a groin ultrasound . The fix, (😮ouch,) was several injections at the site. Not sure what was used, but it resolved the bleed today.
The team insisted on pursuing my low grade fever, shortness of breath , worrisome blood results, lack of appetite, and general exhaustion. After ultrasounds on lungs, heart, and groin, cscan on heart, chest exray, EKG, multiple blood tests and assurance that my pacemaker was not infected, It was determined that I have pneumonia as a result of fluid and inflammation in lung. I was finally treated and send home with medication for fluid and infection. It was a fast paced, efficient and thorough 12 hour odyssey where I could not have been better treated or cared for. Informed each step, consulted and included where possible. In a busy ER department. Thankfully they ignored my plea that I was fine. That’s why they are the doctors.
Now how to proceed and really get well? I have no idea. I am resting but want to do what I should to heal my lungs. Anybody done this? It’s not exactly what I planned. Thanks as always.Polly
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From what I have read, the pneumonia will soon be a thing of the past, as will any effusion and troubles brought on by the ablation. Let's hope so - and bad luck! It must have been a worrying experience.
It sounds as if you had an unusual response to the ablation, but that it is all now settling down. If the "burns" inside the heart settle within a month (in the sense of their causing extra AF and arrhythmias), I gather that is a Very Good Thing for overall future recurrence success, but many people here report ectopic issues and occasional AF for far longer and have eventual success or much reduced symptoms.
Thanks Steve, No burns possible with PFA. Heart feels pretty good. No pain there. I am a bleeder, with or without my eliquis, an of course I was on through out. Doc said, “you told us you are a bleeder, but never saw anyone bleed from entry that long.” The pneumonia, a bigger surprise, but I knew intubation might be hard for me. I am old😊. Now onto healing. Thanks
I hadn't fully realised how much safer PFA really is in the way it does not cause potential damage to surrounding tissues or even important organs like the oesophagus. That's the one I'll be having when the waiting time is over.
👍. I agree It was a no brainer for me. Every time someone said, “but the results aren’t showing better afib resolution”, I say yeeees but they are at least as good, with shorter time under anesthesia, no burning of esophagus, no risk to phrenic nerve. Easier recovery and doesn’t even require the most practiced surgeon, though I had a real pro. If I am buying, easy choice.🥰.
Am I right in thinking that PFA is only for AF - and not for SVT? (60-year-old Brit who had his SVT ablation done in Slovakia April 2024. No sedative. Lasted 2 hours. Thankfully it didn't overrun like a patient the day before into 4 hours. I had a consultation in Dec 2023 so only a 3.5-month wait. I only got episodes on average once every 3-4 years so it didn't impinge on my lifestyle. I would go to hospital and get 2 Verapamil injections. In the UK I would have been on a very long waiting list indeed due to the infrequency of the episodes.)
Hi David, I don't think it can be as, in my case, the doctor said that the procedure would aim to stop both my AF and the other atrial ectopics that occur.
When you say that you had "no sedative", do you mean not even a local anaesthetic? That sounds a brave choice and hard going. I had a GA for my ablation for atrial flutter and that is planned for my next one, as well.
Certainly I had a local anaesthetic for the insertion of the catheters into the thigh but not even light sedation for the procedure itself. I had watched quite a few YouTube videos from people who had undergone SVT ablation (admittedly Americans), so I was hoping to get some also. I was told that they needed me alert for communication. However, I was telling them nothing. . .they were just telling me about the next steps. . .nothing I needed to hear. If I need a second ablation I will pay anything, even extortionate American fees, to get the light sedation.
American fees seem utterly bizarre to me. My procedure was private, thanks to an insurance we then had, but done in an NHS hospital. The cost was a fraction of what I have seen quoted in the US.
My pneumonia a few years ago started weeks earlier before it blossomed.
In those earlier weeks I had chest pain and one night I lay down in bed and couldn't breathe properly. Re the chest pain I was told that I had an infection but they didn't know where. Then when I couldn't breathe properly I was told the infection was in my lungs. I was prescribed antibiotics on both occasions.
Symptoms were so bad that each time I dialled 999 for help and each time was sent home with antibiotics. I went to my GP a few days later because I felt so ill. She was shocked when she saw the hospital results, rang the urgent care ward right away and said I should never have been sent home, they agreed and said for me to go over to them.
Had a chest x-ray and then a consultant came to tell me I had a type of pneumonia and that there were lots of different types, pills were prescribed and I was told if I didn't feel any better after 3 days to go back to the urgent care unit.
After the third day I felt even worse, so went back and was admitted to that unit. My daughter came to see me as she works in the hospital and as we were sat chatting someone came to tell me that I had covid as well as the pneumonia. Now that had been caught from going to the hospital as I'd been nowhere else. They had the cheek to put me in the covid ward. By now I had developed a very productive cough. My heart rate was high too and they wanted to put me on 10mg of Bisoprolol, I was horrified and agreed on 7.5mg. I spent 4 days in that ward, ok so I did do a lot of laughing with the lady in the bed next to me and the ward staff probably thought there's not much wrong with her.
I would say it took me at least 6 weeks to recover once home and the productive cough even longer to clear. I lost a stone in weight. You must rest, you'll probably find you can do little else anyway
I had no idea before this that there were different type of pneumonia. Oh must mention to that I'd had covid, pneumonia and flu jabs the previous year and had all three things the following year. Never had any of those ailments before.
Thanks Jean. I am hoping to beat this at home. I was tested for covid and the numerous viruses circulating while in ER. All negative 👏🏻. Thanks for alert on different pneumonias . If I don’t rally soon I will call my PCP.
I paid for a pneumonia jab at Boots. It was £70. It covers 20 strains of the pneumonia bacteria, but not the viral ones. The NHS one, I had, only covered 1 strain, I believe.
I worked in the Care Industry for many years and saw a lot of people die from pneumonia. Indeed, one of our friends did, not so long ago. The Pharmacist who did my jab, asked why I wanted it and I told her the above and she said that is a very good reason to have it. You’d think the NHS would give you the jab which Boots do, instead of the one they give you, as I’m sure it would save more lives. Suppose it’s the cost, but I think it’s worth the money, to get a Boots one.
Hi Jim, thanks for the note. Yes I am very impressed with the care I had at my local hospital. No one threw a bandage at anything before all options were considered, with appropriate confirmation with blood tests etc. The team gave me a cardiac leader who determined the tests, then more and mistakes were avoided. Not even treatment for my bleeding was commenced until all tests were completed and assured that my pacemaker had not been infected and nothing more was happening. The team huddled overnight every time a test came in, and decisions were made. Impressive. Finally diagnosed with pneumonia, likely from being on breathing tube during ablation, excessive fluid in system, lungs, etc. Assured that my wound was not a damaged vein, I was treated and discharged. Twelve hrs..door to door.
As for my age, final ER doc commented “ you are pretty healthy “. No diabetes, or major issues , but I have not eaten Standard American Diet for years. 84 yr inJuly. Eat sparingly and not often. No junk. Golf and move and protect my brain, where possible.
My choice of provider and technology (PFA) was solely based on less anesthesia time (better for elder) much less risk of peripheral damage, for example, burning esophagus or phrenic nerve. It is not yet available locally so I travelled to Boston. Would again.
Hadn’t considered pneumonia. Hope I can recover in time for upcoming celebrations. Thanks again. Recalling why I chose my route has been good for me.
Wishing you a quick and full recovery from your ordeal. Myself, had 30+ years of PAT considered tachyardia, first episode at age 40 and went into 200 bpm. Off to ER and while awaiting diagnosis...it stopped. I was amazed, and frightened that maybe I would now fall down dead, since the heavy heartbeats were not making my body shake. Was seen by the doctor on hand, and told "it is probably a once in a lifetime occurrane. Turned out it was a 30+ year occurance, but not at such a rapid beating. Found I could be converted by husband, massaging my carotid. Many trips to ER to have it ended by injections, and sent on my way.
Finally, in 2017, at age 77, I went to ER as could not stop the Tachacardia with any of our previous ways, and while hooked up to monitors, the nurse said "You're all over the place...and I was then told I was in A-Fib for the first time. Because the paddles or anything else could not convert my heart backt to normal sinus rhythm. I was kept in hospital, and told I should have an ablation, by the female doctor who worked with my cardiologist, or at least i the same office.
Unfortunately, during the ablation, by a renowned electrophysist, and me lying beside a huge 55-65 monitoring screen, somehow, my heart was poke and I had a hole in the top portion of my heart...which resulted in what was called a tamponade. I was then kept in the ICU of the heart department while given medications to stop the bleed. At one point I was sent by ambulance downwon to St. Michael's hospital to be assessed for open heart surgery to stop the bleeding, but was examined and sent back to the Centenery Hospital in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Later I was transferred to the hospital closer to my home area, where checks were made by injecting dye to see if the leak had stopped. Luckily after spending my whole summer in hospitals, I was released to go home.
After many trips to ER over the next few weeks, I finally stabilized and did not have to go to ER due to rapid heartbeat, etc. So here I am, at 84 years of age, and back to normal beats of my heart after all that anxiety and trips to ERs in Oshawa and Scarborough at all hours of the mornings.
Good Luck to you, and you will steadily get back to normal through this pneumonia set back.
I have no idea what the NICE guidelines are, Jim, but my care was stellar. My local hospital is a relatively large university hospital with a full complement of post docs, specialties and in training doctors.
Rest, rest and more rest. We were told that my husband would not feel himself for about a year after his bout of pneumonia. They weren't far wrong. It is very debilitating.
I only have one thing to add. Invest in some good vitamin supplements. Especially D3 with K2, which you can buy as a a spray. Magnesium if you don't take it already, B12, selenium and Zinc. All of these help to boost the system. Personally I'm also a big fan of live miso in soups and stews. Has loads of goodies in it and is my go to comfort food when under the weather. If you're meat eater chicken bone broth is also good.
Two simple things I expect you know but haven't been mentioned in the posts are you might find it helps your breathing to keep your head elevated in bed, said to help drain the lungs; secondly the usual ... drink lots of fluids, particularly water ..
It's said to take a long time to recover completely so I guess you'll need patience, allow yourself time ..
I can't imagine what you've been through, sending all my best wishes,
thanks . I have a great bed that allows me to elevate my head. Great investment for elders
Has been worth every cent. Hopefully the Amocil- clav and azithromycin will show some results soon. My EP surgeon says sometimes people can get pneumonia from being on the breathing machine. 🤷♀️who knew? And lovely family all pushing liquids. 🤞
I think there is a good evidence base for vitamin D3 but I'm not.hunting after the papers. Dr Sanjay Gupta recommends magnesium for heart health. Most GPs in the UK will.agree that the average person over 50 living here will be vitamin D depleted. My own.GP was very surprised that I wasn't - doubtless due to the regime. Anecdotally I started this regime during COVID on the advice of a South African friend who was following Dr's advice 9ver there for his wife who is immunosuppressed. I've stuck with it ever since. And yes, it's not cheap. I think what also helps is taking good care of your gut and microbiome. The gut is responsible for around 80% of our immune system if I recall. So, what we eat really matters. For the OP the idea of the supplements is a temporary boost to her system.
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