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Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM , where we instantly improve the lives of 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 questions from one of our readers and the question last week was
“HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO WAKE UP FROM A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY OR SEVERE HEAD INJURY?”
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 one of the most frequently asked questions that we get from our readers and the question this week is
“HOW LONG IS MY LOVED ONE GOING TO STAY IN INTENSIVE CARE WITH PNEUMONIA?”
First of all, I’m really surprised by how many people visit the intensivecarehotline.com website for advice, insights and support! I really appreciate you coming to our website and I will try and respond to as many of your questions as possible. You can send questions to [email protected]
You can of course also visit our blog section here https://intensivecarehotline.com/category/blog/ for more advice, tips and insights if your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care!
Now I’m coming to answer your question of
“HOW LONG IS MY LOVED ONE GOING TO STAY IN INTENSIVE CARE WITH PNEUMONIA?”
The answer to that question is of course, as like with many other questions- it depends. Let me shed some light on what it depends on.
If your critically ill loved one is coming to Intensive Care, with the Pneumonia as the primary cause of the Intensive Care admission, then it depends on the severity of the Pneumonia.
For example, in most cases the Pneumonia is caused by an infection from either bacteria (bacterial Pneumonia) or from a virus (viral Pneumonia).
For more information about the clinical picture Pneumonia including signs& symptoms click on this link here https://intensivecarehotline.com/clinical-pictures/pneumonia/
Pneumonia usually goes hand in hand with seeing some changes on the chest x-ray, insufficient oxygenation and a temperature.
In normal circumstances your loved one would be getting treatment with antibiotic or antiviral medicine.
Depending on the severity of the Pneumonia, your critically ill loved one might require intermittent BIPAP or Non-invasive mask ventilation as a starting point.
BIPAP ventilation is usually difficult to tolerate, as your loved one is normally awake and the pressure required for adequate ventilation is quite high and causes discomfort.
It can also be very effective in treating the Pneumonia if your loved one can tolerate the BIPAP ventilation, because the pressure delivered can open previously closed or blocked sections of the lung that improve oxygenation.
If BIPAP or mask ventilation is insufficient to treat the Pneumonia, usually the next step is to start invasively ventilating your critically ill loved one.
This requires a Tube in your loved one’s throat that’s connected to a mechanical ventilator. The tube and the ventilator also require for your loved one to be induced to a coma, so that your loved one is actually able to tolerate the ventilation therapy.
Related article:
What is an induced coma and why is my critically ill loved one in an induced coma?
In either case, the goal is to improve the inadequate and insufficient oxygenation that brought your loved one to Intensive Care in the first place.
If your critically ill loved one requires intermittent BIPAP or mask ventilation and if the Antibiotic therapy and/or Antiviral therapy is working, your loved one should be out of Intensive Care within a couple of days, four days at the most.
If your critically ill loved one has been placed in an induced coma and is now mechanically ventilated, he or she will be in ICU for more than a couple of days. It depends how quickly the ventilation therapy and the Antibiotic/ Antiviral therapy work and how effective they are.
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Generally speaking, mechanical ventilation and the induced coma prolong your loved one’s stay in Intensive Care and you should expect your loved one to be in Intensive Care for at least one week, if no complications occur.
Also, if your loved one has been admitted to Intensive Care for other reasons and has been placed in an induced coma, is on a ventilator and is critically ill, one of the side effects of the critical illness is often immobility, meaning that your loved one is bed bound.
The immobility and the ventilation can increase the risk of your loved one developing Pneumonia, due to the lungs restricted ability to become fully expanded. If the lungs can not be fully expanded, the risk of developing Pneumonia is increased and especially secretions and sputum in the lungs can then develop into an infection. In those circumstances, the Pneumonia is a complication on top of the primary reason for admission.
Treatment is similar to what I described above, however your loved one’s length of stay in Intensive Care depends on other medical issues as well.
Never forget that irrespective of what the Intensive Care team is telling you that you should do your own research.
How can you do that and how can you get PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence fast whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care?
You get to that all important feeling of PEACE OF MIND, CONTROL, POWER AND INFLUENCE when you download your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” report NOW by entering your email below!
In Your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” report you’ll learn quickly how to get PEACE OF MIND, real power and real control and how you can influence decision making fast, whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care! Your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” Report gives you in-depth insight that you must know whilst your loved one is critically ill or is even dying in Intensive Care!
Sign up and download your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” REPORT now by entering your email below! In your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” REPORT you’ll learn how to speak the “secret” Intensive Care language so that the doctors and the nurses know straight away that you are an insider and that you know and understand what’s really happening in Intensive Care! In your FREE report you’ll also discover
- How to ask the doctors and the nurses the right questions
- Discover the many competing interests in Intensive Care and how your critically ill loved one’s treatment may depend on those competing interests
- How to eliminate fear, frustration, stress, struggle and vulnerability even if your loved one is dying
- 5 “killer” tips& strategies helping you to get on the right path to PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence in your situation
- You’ll get real world examples that you can easily adapt to your and your critically ill loved one’s situation
- How to stop being intimidated by the Intensive Care team and how you will be seen as equals
- You’ll get crucial ‘behind the scenes’ insight so that you know and understand what is really happening in Intensive Care
- How you need to manage doctors and nurses in Intensive Care(it’s not what you think)
Thank you for tuning into this week’s “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” and I’ll see you again in another update next week! Make sure you also check out our BLOG section for more tips and strategies or send me an email to [email protected] with your questions!
Also check out our Products section where you get more Ebooks, Videos and Audio recordings and where you can also get 1:1 consulting with me!
This is Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM and I’ll see you again next week with another update!
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