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Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from intensivecarehotline.com with another quick tip for families in intensive care.
So, one question that we get all the time from our clients in the U.S., in particular, is when they give consent to a tracheostomy, or they’re on the verge of giving consent to a tracheostomy, that ICUs want consent for a PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) tube as well. We strongly advise against PEG tubes especially for our clients in the U.S. because a PEG tube and a tracheostomy is sort of the fast lane into an LTAC (Long Term Acute Care) and we strongly advise against LTACs in general. There’s plenty of videos out there why we advise against an LTAC and why we advise against the PEG.
But one question that comes out of this over and over again is that the ICUs, doctors, case managers, nurse practitioners, surgeons, put pressure on patients and families and say, “Look, if we do a tracheostomy, you have to do a PEG tube,” and they put the pressure on and then we get questions like, “Well, they put pressure on us,” and I go, “So what?”
They’re basically asking you to give consent to a surgical procedure. Now, that is entirely up to you whether you give consent to a surgical procedure or not. That’s entirely up to you, no one can force you to give consent to a surgical procedure. If they ask you to jump off a bridge, would you jump off a bridge? Well, you have the answer for that. So, don’t give in to perceived pressure. You don’t have to respond to that. Think for yourself. You don’t need the doctors to think for you. You don’t need the nurse practitioner to think for you. You can think for yourself. There’s plenty of research out there that PEG tubes cause more damage than good. So, make an informed choice. Don’t let anyone pressure you.
If you have the question for yourself. Why are they putting pressure on me? Just ignore it and they will go away. No one can force you to give consent to a surgical procedure. A nasogastric tube doesn’t require a surgical procedure, and it can stay in for up to six months. They just need to look after it properly. No one can force you to give consent to surgery, especially if you’ve done your research. Don’t let anyone corner you or have meetings with you about something you just categorically have said no already. You are in control, and you can stay in control if you choose to. If you’re not staying in control, that’s because you have chosen too not to.
So, that is my quick tip for today.
I have worked in critical care nursing for 25 years in three different countries where I worked as a nurse manager for over 5 years. I’ve been consulting and advocating for families in the intensive care since 2013 here at intensivecarehotline.com. I can confidently say that we have saved many lives for our clients in intensive care. You can verify that in our testimonials section at intensivecarehotline.com and you can verify that at our podcast section at intensivecarehotline.com where we’ve done client interviews, verifying that we saved their loved ones’ lives. That’s why we helped hundreds of clients and members over the years.
That’s why we created a membership for families of critically ill patients in intensive care. 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 at my team, 24 hours a day, in a membership area and via email, and we answer all questions intensive care related in the membership. In the membership, you also have exclusive access to 21 eBooks and 21 videos that I have personally written and recorded. All of those resources and the access to me and my team will help you to make informed decisions, have peace of mind, control, power, and influence so that your loved one gets the 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 doctor 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 a medical record review 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 send us an email to [email protected] com with your questions.
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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.