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If you want to know how we can help you and your family if the ICU team is playing games, especially when it comes to withholding crucial treatment, stay tuned. I’ve got news for you.

My name is Patrik Hutzel from intensivecarehotline.com, and I have another quick tip for families in intensive care.

Today, I want to highlight once again how we get results for families in intensive care. We are currently working with a client who has their father in intensive care. The ICU team was absolutely playing games and saying, “We will only do a tracheostomy for your loved one if you organize your own rehabilitation center afterwards.” That is absolutely ludicrous and is blackmailing and medical negligence at its best. In any case, the ICU was standing firm initially until we obviously helped writing emails to the hospital executive, making a formal complaint, and lo and behold, the ICU then agreed to do a tracheostomy.

Now, that should never happen in the first place. It goes to show what state many ICUs are in these days that they’re not acting in the best interest of patients and families. I wonder why doctors and nurses go into a helping profession if they’re not prepared to go the extra mile for their patients and their families.

Let me read out the letter that we’ve written. I’m obviously not going to mention names or hospitals, just so you can get a gist how we can help. You can more or less copy the letter if you’re in a similar situation. It just goes to show that our strategies work. It’s another significant case study.

So, the email reads like:

“Dear hospital executive,

I’m writing to you in regards to my family member, admitted to your ICU on the 3rd of November due to cardiac arrest, acute respiratory failure, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) with acute exacerbation, anoxic brain injury, metabolic encephalopathy, and hyperthyroidism. My loved one has been intubated and on a ventilator since the 3rd of November 2024.

We wrote this letter a couple of days ago, today is the 29th of November. As you would know, if you’ve done some research, a tracheostomy needs to be done after Day 10 to Day 14 after mechanical ventilation. Anything later than that could cause significant harm. The ICU has been negligent right from the start. They also didn’t switch off propofol, delaying any attempts this patient could make to get off the ventilator. So, we continue in the email.

I want to express my concern over the fact that for three weeks now, my loved one has been delayed from having a tracheostomy, three weeks since the procedure was determined to be necessary. Three weeks after, he has been intubated and ventilated since the 3rd of November 2024. This delay is both unacceptable and indicative of complete medical negligence, as it places my family member at significant and avoidable risk of harm.

Tracheostomy is a standard and vital procedure for ICU patients who need to stay on prolonged mechanical ventilation, which is the case in this situation. Clinical evidence and international guidelines mention that the optimal timing for tracheostomy is typically within 7 to 15 days of intubation if a critically ill patient cannot be weaned off the ventilator and the breathing tube beyond the shadow of a doubt with many studies supporting earlier intervention (as early as 4 to 10 days in certain cases). Delayed tracheostomy substantially increases the risk of complications, including:

• Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (also known as VAP): Prolonged intubation strongly associated with ventilator-associated pneumonia, a serious and potentially life-threatening infection.

• Muscle Wasting and Immobility: Without a tracheostomy, mobilization is nearly impossible, which exacerbates muscle atrophy and delays recovery. 

• Airway Complications: The extended use of an endotracheal tube has already caused significant swelling and edema of my family member’s tongue, leading to unnecessary pain, potential infection, and an increased risk of airway obstruction.

You can refer to this article below about tracheostomy in the acute care setting and I put a link to an article there: AARC Clinical Practice Guideline: Management of Adult Patients with Tracheostomy in the Acute Care Setting | Respiratory Care

Despite these well documented risks, no action has been taken, and my loved one remains intubated, unable to mobilize, and increasingly vulnerable to life-threatening complications.

Another critical issue I must raise is his airway humidifier which is no longer working and hasn’t been replaced. My family member requires proper humidification to maintain healthy airways and prevent mucus plugging, yet the humidifier has been stopped and not replaced. Proper humidification is not optional; it’s essential for maintaining airway health in patients on mechanical ventilation. 

According to the clinical practice guidelines, inadequate humidification increases the risk of mucus plugging and airway blockages, which can lead to acute respiratory failure and even death. This neglect leading to further lung complications, highlights a fundamental lapse in ICU standards. A well-equipped ICU should always have a sufficient number of humidifiers available to ensure uninterrupted care. 

More details on humidification standards can be found here, and again, I’ll put a link in the standards: Humidification during Mechanical Ventilation in the Adult Patient – PMC.

As I have previously highlighted these concerns, and I respectfully request immediate action on the following: 

• Immediately schedule the tracheostomy to avoid the risks associated with prolonged intubation.

• Address the airway humidification issue without further delay to ensure my family member’s safety.

• Implement proper mobilization, including physical therapy, to facilitate recovery and prevent further complications. Every day that passes without physical therapy or physiotherapy adds to his physical decline, increasing risks of getting pneumonia and prolonging his stay in the ICU unnecessarily.

Again, here is an article that highlights the benefits of mobilization: What Are the Benefits of Early Mobilization of My Loved One in the ICU? – Intensive Care Hotline

These are not extraordinary requests; they are basic aspects of intensive care and ICU care and the standards of treatment that every patient deserves. The continued delays and lack of appropriate action not only jeopardizes my family member’s health but also undermines trust in your hospital’s ability to provide adequate care.

Once again, I respectfully request an immediate response outlining the steps you will take to rectify these critical and life-threatening issues. Your prompt attention to this matter is essential to ensuring my family member receives the best care and treatment he is entitled to. 

Thank you for addressing this matter with the utmost importance it deserves.”

We obviously crafted this email for our client, and lo and behold, the ICU agreed to do a tracheostomy the same day. So, it’s all about getting results, it’s all about knowing which buttons to push really. It’s not even about pushing buttons, it’s about making sure that patients and families get the best care and treatment that they want, need, and deserve.

I have worked in critical care nursing for 25 years in three different countries. I’ve been consulting and advocating for families in intensive care all over the world since 2013 here at intensivecarehotline.com. As you can see, I can confidently say that our strategies work and I can confidently say that we have saved many lives for families of critically ill patients in intensive care. You can verify that on our testimonial section at intensivecarehotline.com. You can also look up our testimonials at our intensivecarehotline.com podcast where we’ve done client interviews, verifying how we helped them to save their lives, their loved one’s lives, or improve their lives instantly, get results and better outcomes for their loved ones in intensive care.

That’s why we helped hundreds and hundreds of members and clients over the years, again, to improve their lives instantly and save their loved ones’ lives in intensive care. That’s why we created a membership for families of critically ill patients in intensive care, and you can become a member if you go to intensivecarehotline.com if you click on the membership link, or if you go to intensivecaresupport.org directly. In the membership, you have access to me and my team, 24 hours a day, in the membership area and via email, and we answer all questions intensive care related. In the membership, you also have exclusive access to 21 eBooks and 21 videos that I’ve personally written and recorded. All of these resources will help you to make informed decisions, have peace of mind, control, power, and influence, making sure your loved one gets best care and treatment always.

I also do one-on-one consulting and advocacy over the phone, Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp, whichever medium works best for you. I talk to you and your families directly. I handhold you through this once in a lifetime situation that you simply can’t afford to get wrong. I also talk to doctors and nurses directly. When I talk to doctors and nurses directly with you or on your behalf, I ask all the questions that you haven’t even considered asking but must be asked when you have a loved one critically ill in intensive care.

I also represent you in family meetings with intensive care teams.

We also do medical record reviews in real time so that you can get a second opinion in real time. We also do medical record reviews after intensive care if you have unanswered questions, if you need closure, or if you are suspecting medical negligence.

All of that you get at intensivecarehotline.com. Call us on one of the numbers on the top of our website or simply send us an email to [email protected] with your questions.

If you like my videos, subscribe to my YouTube channel for regular updates for families in intensive care. Click the like button, click the notification bell, comment below what do you want to see next, what questions and insights you have from this video. 

I also do a weekly YouTube live where I answer your questions live on a show. You will get notification for the YouTube live if you’re a subscriber to my email newsletter or if you are a subscriber to my YouTube channel and my email newsletter you can get at intensivecarehotline.com. Share the video with your friends and families.

Thank you so much for watching.

This is Patrik Hutzel from intensivecarehotline.com and I will talk to you in a few days.

Take care for now.