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Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from intensivecarehotline.com with another quick tip for families in intensive care.

So, we had an email from a subscriber saying that his mother is in ICU with a pneumonia, and she’s on BIPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure) at the moment. And the ICU team is telling him that they can’t continue the BIPAP forever. Now, I strongly disagree there that whilst you want to minimize BIPAP as much as you can, it’s probably the better option than intubation and a breathing tube and followed by an induced coma because you can’t really go on a breathing tube for endotracheal intubation without going into an induced coma. So, from that perspective, BIPAP is the better option because your mom can stay awake and she can have a little bit of a rest of the BIPAP, at least, she can have a face wash, maybe have a sip to drink, but that is also the risk.

There is an aspiration risk when you have BIPAP because if there’s vomiting or, God forbid, any saliva that your mom can’t swallow, then there’s definitely an aspiration risk. So, there are risks with the BIPAP, but generally speaking, it is the better option over intubation and an induced coma if the pneumonia can be cleared, of course, that needs to be a given.

But even so, it is not accurate that BIPAP can’t be continued forever, and I’ll tell you why. Depending on how far you’ve gone with your research about intensive care, we are also providing a service Intensive Care at Home. And we have clients at home on BiPAP and they’ve been at home on BIPAP for years, and they need the BIPAP to maintain a stable airway, and there is no issue. We are replicating an ICU bed at home with Intensive Care at Home. And you can have BIPAP at home, no need for intensive care.

So, we are currently operating in all capital cities in Australia with Intensive Care at Home. Go and check it out. Go to intensivecareathome.com . Call us on one of the numbers on the top of our website.

And if you have a loved one in intensive care and you need help, you should also contact us at intensivecarehotline.com and call us on one of the numbers on the top of our website, or simply send us an email to [email protected].

Also, have a look at our membership for families in intensive care, intensivecaresupport.org. There, 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 and Intensive Care at Home related, 24 hours a day.

Also, if you need a medical record review let us know as well. We review medical records for our clients while they are in ICU in real time. And we’re also reviewing medical records after ICU, especially if you’re suspecting medical negligence.

Thanks for watching.

Now, I appreciate if you subscribed to my YouTube channel for regular updates for families in intensive care and Intensive Care at Home, click the like button, share the video with your friends and families, click the notification bell, when there’s new videos and comment below what you want to see next, or your thoughts and insights.

Thanks for watching.

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

Take care.