Pneumonia and Gall bladder

[Tootle2929]

Hi my dad has been in ICU with an infected gall bladder and pneumonia for the last 4 days. He’s started with a mask and now on an oxygen hood. The latest info we got was that he was on 45% oxygen. Have no idea if that’s good or bad.

It is so hard not being able to visit or be with him. Feel sick with worry.

Anyone have any idea on these stats please?

Thanks

[Ferham]

Hi Tootle. My husband was recently in hospital on a vent for a long time, his oxygen level was over 75 % , after several weeks it was reduced to 50% then 40% , I was praying for the days it was on its 40% . I know it's a worry but 45% is to support him and it's not that high . Hope he improves very soon.

[Tootle2929 in reply to Ferham]

Thank you. It’s all so new and have no idea about all these stats. So hard not being able to see him. I hope your husband is ok now?

Do you know what levels have to be before leaving ICU ? Or is it not that clear cut.

Thanks for your reply x

[Ferham in reply to Tootle2929]

Hi my hubby was ventilated , and when it came down to about 25% he was on the nasal tubes. My husband was exceptionally poorly as had a heart attack when he was in ITU, it was only when his BP and respiration rate was stable they moved him onto a recovery ward.

I would speak to the ward manager and ask them can they explain all the terms to you, I would write down the stats every day, I would ask his BP, his temp, his sats over 95 is good and his oxygen level.

Feel free to message me if you need anything .

Hubby is slowly recovering, although we were told last week he has shadows on his lungs, we are awaiting some further test.

[Tootle2929 in reply to Ferham]

Thank you for the information. My mum writes a lot down but not really the stats, more the questions so that’s a good idea .

Hope your husbands fully recovers very soon and the shadows go away

X

[Sepsur]

This is very easy for me to say but I’d also suggest that try not to obsess on the numbers because you’ll constantly be trying to second guess what they mean - saturation levels are never the full picture either. I would agree that on the face of it 45% is fairly positive. Frequently I was on 100%. My family were completely obsessed with my numbers.

Later when I woke, I used to try and make sense of the numbers on the monitors and scare the bejesus out of myself ( unnecessarily so).

I can understand that the numbers feel like solidity when everything else is up in the air.

Ask the staff if you are unsure about anything and they will put everything in context. Their is a great pdf called Intensive Care guide for patients & relatives produced by ICUsteps.org icusteps.org/assets/files/t...

This gives you a good idea of what to expect - keep in the back of your mind though, that there is no such thing as ‘normal’ - we are all different - so don’t scare yourself

😊

[Rhyl1 Partner Moderator ICUsteps]

Hi Tootle2929 45% is not too bad. I was on 60% with my asthma and was not on HDU or ICU.