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Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from intensivecarehotline.com with another quick tip.

In today’s tip, I want to, again, showcase how our membership works for families of critically ill patients in intensive care at intensivecaresupport.org and how we work with our members one-on-one and get them the best outcomes.

This is a member that we worked with for nearly 12 months now, and there is another member that we’ve nearly worked with for 12 months now. They all have loved ones or had loved ones in intensive care but the intensive care team was doom and gloom right from the start and we told them not to give up and we advised them how to steer this difficult territory that is intensive care. Very rocky road for those families but we’ve managed to help them through these challenges.

One of our member’s family members is still in intensive care after nearly 12 months. They told our member she would pass away on Day 1 and she’s still alive almost a year after. Anyway, I’m just reading out how we help our members, what we send to them, and how we explain intensive care jargon to them. Bear in mind, when we send members emails, I’ve also spoken to them over the phone so we all had lengthy discussions about what it all means and breaking down the medical terms and the terminology so that the family really understands or our members really understand what is exactly happening because intensive care teams don’t have the time to talk to families, one-to-one and they don’t have the time to break down medical jargon. They often only want their agenda being met and that’s all they’re interested in.

So anyway, here is one of the emails that we send to our members,

“The oxygen requirement for your mom from the ventilator is currently very high at FiO2 90%. Arterial blood gas was done at FiO2 90%, and it still shows low partial pressure of oxygen despite high oxygen support from the ventilator. PO2, also known as partial pressure of oxygen, reflects the amount of oxygen dissolved in the blood. It primarily measures the effectiveness of the lungs in pulling oxygen into the bloodstream.

The chest x-ray shows right pleural effusion and an enlarged heart. The BNP test was done to check for heart failure and the result is high at 215. It can be suggested to repeat a heart ultrasound to further evaluate how well the heart is functioning.

The liver is not doing well as the liver function test results are on the high side.  Moreover, the platelet continues to drop, it is now at 42. A blood coagulation test  was also checked, and it shows a high prothrombin time which means that it takes longer for a clot to form. A high prothrombin time can be caused by liver disease.

The blood count yesterday was 11.3 which has increased from 7.2, which means it looks like there’s an infection. The red blood cell count is 2.84 increased from 2.67. Hemoglobin is low at 8.3 but it’s increased from 7.7. Hematocrit is 27.4 increased from 25.6 and it’s low platelets is 42 decreased from 44 and that’s low as well.

The metabolic panel from yesterday’s sodium is 135 which is normal, potassium is 4.7 (normal), chloride is 101 (normal), carbon dioxide is 31 (normal), anion gap is 3, blood urea nitrogen is 43 decreased from 72, glucose is 128 which is normal, creatine is decreased from 1.33 down to 1.19 but it’s still high. AP (alkaline phosphate) is 264 which is high, AST is 60 which is high, and ALT is 23 which is normal. Bilirubin is high at 6.1 and Bilirubin direct is 3.4 which is high as well.

As I mentioned, the BNP test, the B type (natriuretic protein test) is 215 and it’s high. Prothrombin time is high at 21. PTT (Partial Thromboplastin Time) is 1.9.

Arterial blood gas, pH is 7.46 which is high. Carbon dioxide is 43 millimeter per mercury which is normal. Oxygen is 67 millimeter per mercury, which is low, particularly on 90% of FiO2. Bicarbonate is 30.4 which is high. Base excess is 6.4 which is high. Arterial 02 saturation is 94.4 which is low. Inspired oxygen is at 90%.

The chest x-ray looks left retrocardiac opacity, atelectasis versus consolidation. Scattered hazy opacities in the right greater than left lungs, slightly increased in the right lung compared to the prior exam. Findings may represent multifocal infectious/inflammatory infiltrates, and/or underlying pulmonary edema, small right pleural effusion.

The tracheostomy tube is still there as before. The feeding tube traverses below the level of the diaphragm and terminates below the field of the view. The lungs: left retrocardiac opacity, atelectasis versus consolidation. Additional scattered hazy opacities in the right greater than left lungs. Small right pleural effusion. Mediastinum/other: enlarged heart, aortic atherosclerosis.

Assessment summary: Increasing oxygen requirements, consider chest x-ray +/- ABG (Arterial Blood Gas) to evaluate as well. Need to continue Meropenem in light of sensitivities.”

That’s the summary that we send to the client, but as much as it may not make a lot of sense for you just getting a snapshot, the client gets the summaries every day and then we might be brief with the client over the phone as well and let them know in much more detail. If they have any questions, they might also email us questions back and then we answer those questions.

But over time, you really learn the medical jargon and you know what it all means. It’s critically important that you do learn what it means because otherwise you certainly won’t be able to make any informed decisions, and have peace of mind, control, power, and influence.

So, that is my video for today.

If you want to become part of our membership, go to intensivecarehotline.com and check out our membership there at intensivecaresupport.org. There, again, you have access to me and my team, 24 hours a day, in a membership area and via email and we answer all questions, intensive care related. You can also upgrade from there to the phone options and talk to me directly if you are a member. I do one-to-one phone, Skype, Zoom, or WhatsApp consulting. You can talk to me directly.

We also do medical record reviews , as just shown, in real time so you can get a second opinion in real time. We also review medical records after intensive care if you have unanswered questions, if you need closure, or if you’re simply suspecting medical negligence, we can help you with that as well.

If you have any questions regarding any of it, go to intensivecarehotline.com. Call us on one of the numbers on the top of our website or simply send us an email to [email protected].

Now, if you like those videos and if you find value in it, subscribe to my YouTube channel for regular updates for families in intensive care, click the like button, click the notification bell, comment below what you want to see next or what questions and insights you have, share the video with your friends and families, and I will talk to you soon.

Thanks for watching.

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

Take care for now.

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