Bronchiectasis regime at home

[Tomcat98]

Hi, has anyone with Bronchiectasis been sent home on antibiotics after hospital treatment, either IV or oral. Keep having to be re admitted only a few days after going home with no follow up medications.

[2greys]

Unfortunately, readmission for the same illness a short time later is quite common.

nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-i...

[Bella395]

Tomcat98 - frequent admissions are sometimes a sign of inadequate treatment. Bronchiectasis protocol is two weeks of antibiotics. Doctors don’t always adhere to this and give shorter courses. You are entitled to mention this - refer them to the British Thoracic Society Guidelines on Bronchiectasis. It can also be due to hospital acquired infection.

Do you have a consultant who specialises in the disease? Are you managing your bronchectasis adequately? What is your lung clearance like? Are you on long term antibiotics?

The answer to your question about home management of exacerbations is dependent on your health authority’s community services. You can have oral and IV antibiotics at home if they can provide the staff to administer the latter and to take bloods to monitor response. You can talk to your GP about this.

[Hidden]

There is no point in your being admitted to hospital time after time to be treated by doctors who do not know about bronchiectasis and whose job it is simply to get you on your feet and send you home. The treatment that they are giving you is not sufficient to knock the exacerbation on the head

Your GP is also obviously failing to treat you satisfactorily which isn’t surprising because they know nothing about it as well.

You need a bronchiectasis specialist consultant. A general respiratory consultant will not do because they do not have the training or experience in this complex condition.

The bronch specialist will decide the programme of antibiotics, which varies according to your needs at the time, will have a physio in their clinic to help you learn how to clear your lungs properly and will tell your GP which emergency pack to give you for exacerbations.

These bronch experts are usually at big teaching hospitals. Look for one in your area, take the name to your GP and insist on a referral. Do Not Take No For An Answer.

With bronchiectasis we have to be proactive in our own interests and vociferous in sourcing the right treatment. Good Luck

[Response]

That sounds odd (unless you were in hospital for the required time for the antibiotics or have a specific bug that they think doesn't need it).

Do remember though that each person is different and has different bugs and degree of lung damage, so perhaps the hospital doctors didn't think you needed it

.

Personal example: My mum ends up in A&E 3 every 5-6 months, has IV (I think 2-3 doses) and stays in for observation, released the next day with 7 days (and as little as 5 days), oral antibiotics. But last time I mentioned the 14 day guidelines and was given 10 days by the doctor (who looked it up ) (although another A&E dr said he preferred to give less). 10 days (for my mum) seemed much better, as at 7 days she didn't seem better but by 10 was normal. So far so good. We're at 5 months now. If we get past 6 months perhaps the extra days of antibiotics worked.

A Bronch physio was the only person (apart from this site) that highlighted the guidelines (None of the Drs I've spoken seemed to be even aware of this; perhaps it changed recently.)

My mum was given a home emergency/rescue pack from the GP (only 7 days) but we haven't used it as my mum gets ill too quickly; by the time I see she's ill, she semi conscious, and needs an ambulance! But she's 86 so I think these things are dependent on age too.

[Hidden in reply to Response]

My consultant co wrote the latest bronch guidelines. Your post just hilights how useless GPs and general hospital doctors are with bronch. Anything less than 14 days of a high dose of the appropriate antibiotic, whether oral or IV is as useless as taking smarties. Print off the guidelines and take them to your Mum's GP. She deserves better. If she does not have a bronch specialist ( NOT a general respiratory consultant) find one at a big teaching hospital and insist on a referral.

[Response in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much for this - I'll keep copies of this for them.

[Tomcat98 in reply to Response]

Thank you for all your responses. Will ask my consultant if he agrees with most people.