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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 one of our most Frequently asked questions on our blog and the questions was
“HOW LONG CAN SOMEONE STAY IN AN INDUCED COMA?”
You can check out the answer to that question here.
In this week’s episode of “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” , I answer another question from one of our readers and in this week Narelle from Indianapolis in the USA wants to know whether her 19 year old son will ever come off the ventilator after he aspirated during a seizure!
Hi Patrik,
My son is 19 years old, he aspirated during a seizure, he’s been in Intensive Care for 10 days now and every time they are going to take him off the ventilator, his saturation drops low. My question is… two questions, one why does the saturation drop low and two is he ever going to get off the ventilator?
Before I answer this question I just quickly want to clarify a couple of definitions that some of our readers are not familiar with:
- Aspiration is the entry of stomach content, mainly food and/or fluids into the lungs after vomiting, that often require mechanical ventilation with a breathing tube
- Saturation, refers to oxygen saturation in the blood, that in a healthy person should be above 95% out of 100%. In an Intensive Care setting, oxygen saturation is one of the main indicators whether ventilation therapy is effective. Oxygen saturation is measured with a finger clip or an ear clip and checks oxygen in the blood
Ok, now coming to the answer of Narelle’s question
Hi Narelle,
Thank you for your question and thank you for making contact with INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM
I can empathize with your concerns, regarding your 19 year old son and I know how stressful, difficult and challenging it is when you see a loved one struggling to come off the ventilator. From what you described and from what I understand from the information you have provided, there is a relatively high chance that your son’s aspiration in the lungs causes his saturations to drop.
If the aspirates in the lungs have caused an infection in the lungs, which is likely to have occurred after an aspiration, then there may be difficulties and delays in weaning off the ventilator. Also seizures often need to be managed with drugs that cause drowsiness and therefore weaning off the ventilator can get delayed. Drugs commonly used in managing and controlling seizures are Phenytoine, Levetiracetam(Keppra), Midazolam and/or Diazepam(Valium).
Those drugs or a combination of those drugs can cause drowsiness and therefore can cause a delay in “waking up” and weaning off the ventilator.
Also know that if your son is having vomits, the breathing tube protects your son’s lungs from having more aspirates into the lung. The goal however should be to get your son off the ventilator as quickly as possible of course.
In some instances aspirations can cause ARDS or lung failure, however I would need more info about your son’s condition in order to give you more information.
Here are some more articles for you to read and get more information on induced coma, ventilation etc…
- How long does it take to come off a ventilator/ respirator in Intensive Care?
- How long can a breathing tube or an endotracheal tube can stay in?
- How long should a Patient be on a ventilator before having a Tracheostomy?
- What is an induced coma and why is my critically ill loved one in an induced coma?
- How long can you keep a critically ill Patient in Intensive Care in an induced coma?
- What could be the cause if my critically ill loved one is removed from an induced coma but still hasn’t woken up?
- How long does it take to wake up from a Traumatic brain injury or severe head injury?
- Does my critically ill loved one in an induced coma or with head injuries feel my presence?
- After weaning off a ventilator is it NORMAL to be confused?
- The 5 things you need to know if your loved one is confused, agitated and delirious in Intensive Care
- The 5 things you need to know if your critically ill loved one is in Intensive Care with a severe head injury or a traumatic brain injury
- How to take control if your loved one has a severe brain injury and is critically ill in Intensive Care
I hope that helps Narelle,
please let me know if you have any other questions!
I can also be available for a free Skype consultation, my Skype ID is patrik.hutzel or just email me at [email protected] to set up a time.
How can you have PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence 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!
This is Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM and I’ll see you again next week with another update!
Sincerely, your Friend
Patrik Hutzel