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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 question from our readers and the question last week was PART 2 of
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 question from one of our readers and the question this week is
MY PARTNER IS IN INTENSIVE CARE AFTER HE FELL DOWN A CLIFF WITH HIS TRUCK. HE HAS A BRAIN BLEED AND IS NOT WAKING UP! HOW SEVERE IS HIS BRAIN DAMAGE?(PART1)
Jessica writes
Hi Patrik,
I’m emailing you from my Iphone, as my partner has been admitted to Intensive Care after him and his truck fell straight off a cliff 500 feet!
He sustained multiple injuries and I list them here so that you have a good understanding of what he’s dealing with:
- His left HIP dislocated and they had to do a few blood transfusions
- He had a brain bleed that stopped two days after the accident
- He has a fracture in his lower back
- He is an alcoholic and went into detox
- I was told that he aspirated and now has Pneumonia
- He is a heavy smoker and was always coughing a lot of phlegm anyway
- He has been in Intensive Care since last Friday and he came to hospital via the emergency helicopter
- They put him on the ventilator Tuesday or Wednesday. Now they say he is in induced coma
- but today he responded to my voice and had a very distressed face 2-3 times and tried of course to talk but then lost consciousness again
- He is on Fentanyl and something with a P-(Propofol)
It’s hit and miss with information because I only talk to nurses and they are reluctant to talk because I’m not a blood relative and his brother was sick and then out of town so he has only been to the hospital once.
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He said he has called the doctors in Intensive Care several times and had no return calls. Christopher was very clammy today. I noticed two days ago his testicles were very swollen. Is that normal?
He is puffy and swollen in his hands and feet also.
Thank you for any suggestions you can give when he will be waking up and whether his brain bleed will cause permanent damage!
Thank you. The hospital is an hour away and I try to go as often as possible!
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
thank you for clarifying the issues your partner is dealing with.
There are a number of things that stand out and from what you are describing.
Your partner is almost a “typical ” admission to a trauma Intensive Care Unit. I have seen those type of admissions over and over again in more than 15 years Intensive Care nursing in three different countries, where I literally worked with thousands of critically ill Patients and their families!
First off, with the brain bleed your partner had initially the question is that even though it stopped, whether it caused or will cause any permanent damage to the brain.
I.e. blood in the brain can cause hypoxia(lack of oxygen) and cause irreversible brain damage.
Therefore your partner would have had a CT on the brain and they should be able to answer you what the CT showed.
Related article/ video(click on the link):
I understand that the Doctors and nurses may be reluctant to answer your questions because you are not your partners next of kin(NOK).
Next, with the HIP dislocation, how are they treating it, are they managing it conservatively, have they done surgery or are they planning to do surgery?
Also, his fracture in his lower back, have they fixed that or do they once again treat it conservatively?
The answer to those questions may determine how long they leave him in an induced coma for.
Next, given that your partner aspirated, ended up with a Pneumonia and is addicted to alcohol make it more likely that he may need the ventilator/ respirator for a relatively long period.
The reasons being is that especially since he is already going through a withdrawal period will make it very difficult to manage him, as he will be agitated, confused, delirious and often critically ill Patients who go through substance withdrawal are non- compliant.
Heavy smoking doesn’t help when having Pneumonia either.
It’s nothing unusual having critically ill Patients in Intensive Care respond to voices when in an induced coma.
He is most likely on Fentanyl for pain relief and Propofol for sedation.
Being very puffy is almost normal after Multi-Trauma.
You need to be very patient in this difficult situation Jessica, your partner is very sick and he may have to spend a very long time in Intensive Care.
If you could answer me whether they are expecting any irreversible brain damage from the brain bleed and if how they are treating his dislocated HIP and his fractured lower back then I can give you an indication of what might be next.
You should also check out this article/ video here about induced coma(click on the link):
DOES MY CRITICALLY ILL LOVED ONE IN AN INDUCED COMA OR WITH HEAD INJURIES FEEL MY PRESENCE?
Let me know how things go and I can help you along in this process.
Take care
Patrik
(Part 2 to follow)
How can you get PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence quickly, 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 mind blowing 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 “BLOG” and I’ll see you again in another update next week!
Make sure you also check out our “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” section where I answer your questions or send me an email to [email protected] with your questions!
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This is Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM and I’ll see you again next week with another update!
Your Friend
Patrik Hutzel
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