If you insist: gory details (not for the squeamish!):
In January, had the old pacemaker exchanged after 11 years of faithful
service. Unfortunately, the old one had strong adhesions and the surgeon
took ~50 min to get it out (ouch! under a local!). The brutality
required caused a massive haematoma under the new gizmo and it didn't
resorb. For security, I went through 4 courses of different antibiotics
(oral). About a month ago, it started becoming sore and it was decided
that it must be infected with a resistant bacterium and went on a course
of an antiobiotic designed for hospital-resistant staph and was told
that if that didn't work, then a few days hospitalisation for IV
antibiotics may be necessary. I had a follow-up appointment on 9 May. In
the meanwhile the skin under the gizmo site was red, assumed to be
friction with clothing, as the whole affair was proud of the chest by a
good 15 mm (new boob!!!).
On 9 May, while drying myself after my shower, I saw that there was a
small wound under the gizmo and about 3 cm3 of serum was expelled when I
gently pressed on the gizmo. Went for my appointment and the pacemaker
surgeon took one look at the site and immediately sent me to A&E for
immediate admission to the cardiology ward, no messing! I was
immediately put on 4 different IV antibiotics, with a little
improvement, but the wound under the site was getting bigger and blacker
and the edge of the gizmo became visible, which worried them. On 18th, I
got up at 0530 for a pee, no problem. At 0700, I got up to wash and felt
faint, so I sat down on the bed and put my hand on the dressing and
everything went back to normal. Got up again a few minutes later: same
result, but the wireless EKG monitor I had on sent alarm signals to the
nurses' station. Within 10 seconds, 3 nurses (pretty!) round my bed with
the heart failure crash cart (bravo for their prompt reaction!). I was
hooked up to the mobile EKG and given oxygen, double fast. The screen
showed normal atrial pacing but only occasional ventricular pulses. No
further messing: immediate transfer to cardiac ICU (other end of
hospital, accompanied by 2 doctors and 2 nurses). When I got there
(still in my own bed) and transferred to a new bed, they removed the
dressing and found something they had never seen before: the pacemaker
had fallen completely through the hole, hanging by its leads.
Fortunately, the atrial lead was bipolar but the ventricular one was
unipolar and needed the body fluids to complete the circuit.
I was in theatre within the hour and suffered nearly 3 h of torture,
again under locals, implanting new bipolar leads from the other side and
a new gizmo on the other side, having stuffed the older new one back in
the hole and taped it down to provide pacing, thus avoiding a catheter
from the groin. Having done that and sewn it up, they then tackled the
old side and opened it up top and bottom, scraped it out and cut away
all the necrotic tissue and (hopefully) any remaining traces of
bacterial infection. They then removed the old leads. Loads of IV
antibiotics in ICU since + 5 days in a private room in cardiology.
The food was the WORST I've ever had in any hospital, but the staff
seemed competent and pleasant.
BTW, I've lost 13 kg since January, of which 6 kg in the past 3 weeks. I
had a nurse use a sterile scalpel to make a new hole in my belt;
otherwise, I would have left the hospital with my breeks round my ankles!
Brian
Inge wrote:
> If you need chat anything else than techy things, I'm ready. When I was
> ill a couple of years ago in cancer, I valued much somebody to talk to.
> About everything.
> Take care, and take it easy the rest of the summer .
> Gesundheit!
> Inge
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Ellis" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 7:15 AM
> Subject: [TN] Absence
>
>
>> Have been hospitalised for 3 weeks and thus unable to keep up with the
>> IPC forums. As there are 530 accumulated messages in TN alone, you will
>> understand I'm not going to read them all or respond. I'll treat them
>> all as read, and re-start from here. If anyone has sent a message aimed
>> at me, since 8 May, please resend it, if you want an answer.
>>
>> Thanks for your understanding.
>>
>> Brian
>>
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>> information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or
>> 847-615-7100 ext.2815
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>
>
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