Lung stiff, and on 95% oxygen on ventilator

[esteeossy]

Can stiff lungs reverse

Please as anyone been in this case? My husband has been in icu for 24days now. Heavily sedated, on paralysis drug, on ventilator. Doctor called me in the morning to come over as he may not make it. I went to see him. They said they have adjusted the ventilator settings to the maximum, oxygen level of 95% PEEP 15. Though they are still giving him antibiotics. But doctors said he may not recover from the lungs been stiff.

NB..he is on daily dialysis. Drug is given to increase his blood pressure.

Please any chance? people with experience help me.

[FamilyHistorian]

First of all I’m not a medical person. My first question is did you hear what the doctor said correctly - there is a difference between sticky lungs and stiff lungs. The latter is more to do with scaring the other to do with mucus.

So I’m in my 70’s and at the end of 2019 had pneumonia, possibly sepsis and a heart op. My family were given the call twice. I have been home for 11 months.

The scarring of the lungs is known as pulmonary fibrosis. Whilst in hospital there was a suggestion that I had scarring. Ever since coming out I have had a cough, a dry throat and breathlessness and over the months it has got worse. My GP sent me for both X-rays and a CAT Scan and diagnosed me with PF I am now waiting for a thoracic medicine appointment. The cause may be ICU trauma or methotrexate (arthritis drug) or pneumonia (not covid but similar)or a combination of them. Currently my MTX has been stopped.

So be positive the doctors are doing their job, look on the bright side I am an example of getting through it and most important look after yourself.

[esteeossy in reply to FamilyHistorian]

Thanks for reply, it is stiff lungs he said, said the alveoli is damaged. He has covid pneumonia hence his admission the first place. After 1week of his admission his oxygen requirements was 35,-40%, then 1week plus he had a chest infection were antibiotics was given, after then he had sepsis, his oxygen requirements was 60, 70..for 3 to 4 days didn't hear from them except I called and they say he is same. So they called me this morning to say he is in a bad state, as his lungs became stiff, so he requirements 95% oxygen.

[FamilyHistorian in reply to esteeossy]

I don’t have my oxygen requirements and my wife doesn’t know either (I have sent away for all my medical documents - for no other reason than I don’t know). I had loads of infections. I was sedated/ ventilated for nearly 2 months. Damaged alveoli is what I had.

[Sepsur]

I was on dialysis for 7wks in ICU, I had multiple issue including Severe ARDS which is often nicknamed concrete lung. The lungs become stiff and fail to work properly. A consultant one day showed my wife an X-ray of my lungs after I’d started not to be able to tolerate intubation and was kept alive on an ambu-bag. It showed two solid lungs - he said it resembled liver not lung, it was that dense ( no wonder I couldn’t breathe). 6 wks later I woke up. I was weak but fairly quickly all of my vital organs, that had fail, were working ok. Minimal scarring - live pretty normal at present 😊

[franniep]

First of all, I am so sorry, Friend!

Has anyone suggested inhaled steroids like the ones used to control asthma, or is there no way to get the patient to inhale them, once he’s unconscious.

Also has anyone else heard that, with fibrotic lungs, the pressure of a ventilator is a very bad thing?

I remember, early on in Covid, one respiratory specialist (an MD) recording a video in which he said putting COVID patients on vents was the last thing we should be doing.

I thought the thinking since late spring had changed such that doctors weren’t putting COVID patients on vents anymore.

O2 was fine, this doctor said. But the pressure of a vent was too strong for fibrotic lungs to handle.

This is just from memory. The video was taken off YouTube, but I will look for it again on Bitchute &Www.theHighwire.com.

[Sepsur in reply to franniep]

It may have been taken off YouTube because it was unsubstantiated claims by one doc 🤷‍♀️?

I know treatment is very different around the world and from unit to unit- when you have no real control over the treatment that your loved one receives, we have to trust that the medical teams are delivering the best care. In U.K. - if you are unhappy or concerned that the treatment being offered isn’t the right one, you are well within your rights to ask for a second opinion, or contact the hospital PALS team.