GP and information

[valm]

Been to the GP to find out what is available in the community regarding IV antibiotics. He is going to look into what is available here - hospital at home entails a nurse visiting up to 2 times a day plus social care - home carer's. But they do not do IV’s! The consultant said when I get these bad infections need IV antibiotics but at the minute that means an admission for 3 times a day medication. Which to me should be done at home, asked if my husband could not be trained to give them if someone put in a cannula (he is a nurse) he said he would see what he could find out. Going into hospital puts you more at risk and having a line put in would also lead to further infections. We are going to ring the hospital again tomorrow about blood gases and saline test 3 weeks down the line still no joy. On the other hand breathing seems a little easier today hope it’s the anti fungal's starting to work Val

[Hidden]

Hi Val, hope you can get something arranged at home, it would be easier and safer, avoiding further infection, let us know what the doc finds out for you.

Glad your breathing is a little easier today. Feel loads better soon.

Zoee x

[valm in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Zoe will let you know any info I hear Val x

[rattles]

Having a line put in would not necessarily lead to further infections Val. This really is something your consultant should be addressing rather than yr GP as they are the ones responsible for prescribing i.v antibiotics. You would still need cultures and bloods done to check you are on the right i.v antibiotic so that would generally necessitate a brief stay in hospital. At this point you could request a picc line to enable early discharge, and self medicate.

If you happen to find a way round the current system please update us as i would be so pleased to hear. Wishing you the best of luck

[valm in reply to rattles]

Many thanks for your reply yes I will ask about a picc line but do not see the consultant until Sept, was really interested in the at home antibiotics - the consultant has just started at the hospital didn't know much info but will keep you posted on any info I get Val x

[Hidden in reply to rattles]

Getting cultures and bloods done does make home i v a toughy.

[valm in reply to Hidden]

Possibly - though could it not be done in a day or two at the most, many thanks Val

[tanyamarie]

Oh Val,

So sorry to hear you are having a rough time again. You have had more than your fair share havn't you?. Good thinking though, having it at home. If it can be done then I think it is a great idea. But don't be dismayed that you are not seeing your consultant til September. You can request an earlier appointment with his/her secretary. I did that for my dad.

Take care xx

[valm in reply to tanyamarie]

Thank you it just continues, though I did feel breathing was a bit easier Val x

[jojam]

Hi Val,

Hope you can get something arranged for IV antibiotics to be administered at home, so much easier & less risk of pcking up a further infection in hospital, let us know how youget on

Best wishes

Jo

[valm in reply to jojam]

Thank you will keep you posted Val x

[valm]

Many thanks I did mention this but again they were reluctant Val

[Lymdor]

IV Antibiotics at home - Yes Please! I have recently spent five days blocking a hospital bed because I was on IV anitbiotics for a particularly nasty Quinsy - (Peritonsillar Abscess) After the first coup[le of days I felt fine and would have been very happy to go home with a cannuala and self medicate four times a day!

[jellybaby]

perhaps a community matron or a qaulified home help may do this?

keep people out of hospital wont it there must be a way

[valm]

Thanks for the replies waiting to hear will keep you all posted at the out come but I won't hold my breath ha ha Val x

[oakhouse2]

Hi Valm Please to hear your feeling a bit better. Can you tell me what the anti fungals are and what they do I don`t think I`ve heard of them.

Linda

[valm in reply to oakhouse2]

I have a fungus in my lung he described it as a ball - Aspergilloma I am taking Itraconazole twice a day for it hope it helps Val

[janie62 in reply to valm]

sorry to keep butting in, but on the Brontchieactsis R Us site, a few of the Bronc. have this fungal infection and you can go onto the site and there is a drop down menu at the top of the page, usually under a heading of a post as we still call them and when you click on it it will say diseases you may have, and it goes back to about a year, where people have posted and what you have is on it and they tell you what was done, how they were helped, what it does to your body and its very informative, i think they just call it asperigallos for short, something like that, again, very best wishes Janie xxxxx

[valm in reply to janie62]

Great thank u x

[brummie21]

Hello everyone I've never posted before. I'm a 21year who has recurrent Chet infections needing 2week admissions for iv antibiotics, I'm currently in at the mo and this is my 4th 14 day admission in 8 months. As a 21 year old who has just graduated it's very frustrating as I just want to get on with life. I'm under a specialist consultant and the specialist nurses r going to teach me to give myself the antibiotics at home through a long line, though i will have to come into hospital for at least a few days first each time even it just a week less it would help a lot. Have u got specialist resp/ cops nurses at ur clinic they will prob no more than cons, bit it might take a while on place this has been talked about with me for past 2 years and just getting it sorted.

Best wishes

[valm in reply to brummie21]

Glad your getting sorted now, it does take them quite a while I was having IV 3 times a day but could have been at home! So the district nurses will now do if and when needed its like drawing teeth at time Val

[janie62]

Val i replied to an email you sent me today. But regarding home i.v.

I had a long line fitted last year and i had i.v. antibiotics for 3 days in hospital, then for the next 11 days a nurse came every morning and put up the drip and gave me the i.v. took and hour this was at 8am, then at 8pm another nurse came and repeated the same as mornimg session. It is new system started here, and the nurses are called, 'The Rapid Response Team' and are wonderful - as you get all the help you need, they bring all they need for the 11 days leave it in your bedroom or whichever room you want the i.v. in. you have all your home comforts, can sleep at night as you are not attached to a drip and no noise, plus it cost less for NHS and frees up beds for more patients who really need to be in hospital, i think it should be done for the whole of UK. its a brilliant idea, plus they give you a sheet and it has all the information on it what they are doing and telephone nos . if you feel worse or not too good when you are alone at home, plus at the end, you can not compulsory give marks for treatment, how nurses treated you as a person, did you feel it was better than being in hospitla, etc. its brilliant , plus i didnt have a severe exacerbation for over a year, i had 2 bad virus and an awful session of what is called 'wind trapping' for three weeks, oh val, by the way i have only ever been on 2L on o2 since i was diagnosed, altho i can rise the level if i wish, also my consultant insists, that people like me who do as they are asked, are given a box of antibiotics and steroids to take immediately they feel an exacerbation is coming on, also i have a telemonitoring machine, each morning i put a probe on my finger, press a button on a machine and it tells my oxygen level and heartrate, if either are 2 high or low the triage nurses who run it, send out the emergency doctor to me, or ask me to do a re test, all this has been instigated by my consultant, he is a young man in his late 30's and is the only respitory consultant trained in n. ireland and his speciality is Bronchieastasis altho he treats all lung conditions, its amazing how many consultants do not know how or what bronc is. also do you know you can get your consultant via your gp. to refer you to specialist hospitals, like the royal brompton and papworth and one in manchester, and one in leicester, sorry dont know their names. good luck to all, Janie xx

[valm in reply to janie62]

Brilliant info thank you very much, i will ask the consultant availability here and see what can be organised. x

[janie62]

Hi i meant to say they give you the emergency antibiotics and steroids to keep at home, say you become ill over the weekend or holiday time, plust the triage nurses phone every morning, sorry lol even sunday and all holidays, but if you are on your own and they phone and you say you dont feel good, they get u help, so its instant, you dont have to phone out of hours, or go to a& e stuff like that, people think n. ireland is backward in health care, its tremendous, its sad but because of the 'troubles' that were here for over 30 years - we have some of the best brain consultants in the world and doctors come to learn our methods here, its amazing , the help i have received is incredible, oh and i did pul. rehab, & if your doctor recommends it and its available at your local council sports forum, as we call it, where kids or grown ups go and do swimming, football, exercise on machines , judo all that sort of stuff, well if the forum run the scheme you can get a prescription off your doctor and get free exercises there with trained proffessionals in lung problems, and go as many times as you like, and you are monitored same as pul rehab. Just thinking theres going to be a big influx of people coming here from mainland uk lol, again lots of luck - Janie xxxxxx

[valm]

Thanks I have antibiotic's and steroids at home to start when needed, also started PR at the Freeman Hospital Newcastle about 20 mile from us did approx 5 weeks then became ill this was part of the the run up to going back to work!

I will not be returning to work now but do hope to get back to re-hab many thanks Val xxx