My boyfriend has Pancreatitis and is in Multi-organ failure, how long will it take for him to get out of ICU? (PART2)

Published: Mon, 03/14/16

Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM , where we instantly improve the lives for Families of critically ill Patients in Intensive Care, so that you can have PEACE OF MIND, real power, real control and so that you can influence decision making fast, even if you’re not a doctor or a nurse in Intensive Care!

This is another episode of “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” and in last week’s episode I answered another question from our readers and the question last week was Part 1 of

My boyfriend has Pancreatitis and is in Multi-organ failure, how long will it take for him to get out of Intensive Care? (PART1)

You can check out the answer to last week’s question by clicking on the link here.

In this week’s episode of “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” I want to answer another question from one of our readers and the question this week is Part 2 of

My boyfriend has Pancreatitis and is in Multi-organ failure, how long will it take for him to get out of Intensive Care? (PART2)

This formed part of a two part phone/Skype consulting strategy session for one of my Clients who signed up for 1:1 phone/Skype consulting with me.

Vanessa asks

Hi Patrik,

Thank you so much for your quick response and for your time on Skype.

It has been very difficult, most of the worst (hopefully!) seems to be past, the organ failure, but I know it'll still be a long rough road.

My boyfriend is 45, he has never been treated in any way for alcohol issues. No prior hospitalizations or anything.

He does have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both of which he takes medication for, and sees his Doctor twice a year for lab tests and nothing has ever come up (as recently as October) from any of the visits or blood and urine tests.

An added difficulty is that we live in different cities, so I'm not there as much as I'd like to be, don't get to see the doctors often, I was there the entire first week and at least 2 days a week since then.

I was lucky enough to be there today when a Doctor came in, one that hadn't seen him before, and I requested a neurological consult and to start some sort of physical therapy, so that I can feel maybe I'm making progress.

I’m anxious to see what the neurologist has to say. The fact I'm a girlfriend, not a wife, has been an issue for some of the staff, even though his mother has given me full authorization to discuss all his care, she is default medical POA(Power if attorney) since he didn't have one.

As for issues with staff, there was one today that really illustrates why I'm so frustrated. His nurse came in and tried to turn on the fan they have in his room so I asked if he had a fever, she told me no.

One of the Doctors came right after and maybe 20 minutes later she came and said she was taking blood and urine for cultures, so of course I asked if there was a reason and she said he's got a low grade (100.7F/ 38.2C) fever. And she couldn't tell me when I asked???

So have this new fever as a concern, waiting to see what chest x-ray shows-not sure if I told you he developed Pneumonia the first week?-but there are no signs of any bleeding. Up until a couple weeks prior to his admission he never missed work, took care of his son 50% of the time, but early February he started vomiting frequently and having the shakes more frequent and earlier in the day, that's what prompted him to seek help, he was scared of what was happening. Thank you so much for everything, the information, and just someone who understands both sides of it to talk to.

Many thanks for all you're doing!

Vanessa

Hi Vanessa,

you're very welcome!

Thank you for clarifying your boyfriends age and also the POA(Power of attorney) situation.

It’s good that your boyfriends mother has given you full authorization as far as your boyfriends care goes. This can be important now and down the line.

I can see your frustration, especially with the way the Intensive Care team is treating you and your questions.

Don’t be discouraged, keep asking questions and continue to be “difficult and demanding”.

I know you are concerned about your boyfriends neurological diagnosis and I know you want a neurological consult.

The fact of the matter is that as long as your boyfriend is still agitated, confused and probably going through withdrawal from alcohol and some of the sedatives, it may not be the right timing (as yet) to do a neurological consult.

Maybe he needs to be less agitated first before they can properly assess him neurologically.

I understand that the Intensive Care team is clearly and inappropriately withholding information from you and that’s why it’s even more important that you get comfortable with proactively managing the Intensive Care team and challenge their “perceived authority” and challenge their “perceived power”.

Here at INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM I can give you all the tools and strategies to do that effectively, so that you can have peace of mind, control, power and influence quickly!

Besides your boyfriends fever- which is nothing unusual or uncommon after 5 weeks in Intensive Care- which they’ll probably treat with the appropriate Antibiotics- the next challenge is to wean your boyfriend off the ventilator and off the tracheostomy.

The fever is most likely also a result of your boyfriend having developed a Pneumonia, which is nothing uncommon after 4 or 5 weeks in Intensive Care on a ventilator with tracheostomy. There is a huge risk of Patients in Intensive Care on a ventilator with tracheostomy to develop Pneumonia. It comes with the territory of being on a ventilator with tracheostomy.

As I have mentioned in my previous email and on our Skype call, your boyfriend needs to be less agitated because otherwise it’ll be a big challenge to be weaned off the ventilator.

I know it’s frustrating to see him getting Seroquel, Clonidine, Haloperidol and Morphine etc… however it can be extremely challenging from a nursing and medical perspective to look after a ventilated Patient with tracheostomy when they are confused, agitated and non- compliant.

Again, the withdrawal part is huge as well and that’s most likely the first step, to get the agitation under control and then look at weaning off the ventilator.

Recommended resources

FOLLOW THIS PROVEN SYSTEM TO AVOID THE 3 MOST DANGEROUS MISTAKES YOU ARE MAKING BUT YOU ARE UNAWARE OF, IF YOUR LOVED ONE REQUIRES LONG-TERM VENTILATION WITH TRACHEOSTOMY IN INTENSIVE CARE!

THE 7 ANSWERS TO THE 7 MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IF YOUR LOVED ONE REQUIRES ONGOING MECHANICAL VENTILATION WITH TRACHEOSTOMY IN INTENSIVE CARE!

Keep doing the Physiotherapy and also keep asking for mobilisation etc… as this will help as well.

Do not and never take “No” for an answer, do not- under any circumstances- copy the behaviour of other families in Intensive Care who don’t ask questions, who don’t do their own research , who continue to be intimidated by the “perceived power” and the “perceived authority” of the Intensive Care team and who as a result have no peace of mind, no control, no power and no influence!

Make sure you are distinctly different from the 99% of families of critically ill Patients in Intensive Care and keep asking questions, keep doing your own research and make sure that you do “whatever it takes” to have peace of mind, control, power and influence!

I hope that helps. Let me know if you have anymore questions or if you want to jump on Skype or on the phone for a consultation again.

Take care

Patrik

There is no situation in Intensive Care that I can't help you with or that I haven't seen!