ChatterBank33 mins ago
Do These Symptoms Ring A Bell.....?
30 Answers
My father is currently in hospital.
It was thought he had a stroke. The scans and tests (CAT and MRI) have shown he hasn’t. In fact, there is nothing wrong with his head at all although he has a bit of left-sided weakness and slight double-vision at the periphery of his sight.
He is, however, being treated (with hefty Anti-Bs) for an unidentified infection and given oxygen.
This manifested itself as seemingly sudden onset pneumonia leaving him unable to speak or take a proper breath which is why he was originally blue-lighted into hospital in the small hours of Friday morning.
In just over a fortnight he has experienced momentary complete blindness, momentary aphasia/dysphasia and similarly short-lived total deafness and visual distortions.
He has been vomiting and coughing to the extent where he has burst a blood vessel in his throat.
He is greatly confused and very restless.
He doesn’t recognise the bed/ward and asks to go back to where he was previously and then he’ll be more settled. (He was previously in ITU and was the only conscious patient in there). He’s barely eating and drinking (not helped by the really unappetising food he is being given) and even a freshly made Costa Cappuccino held no appeal for him.
He’ll probably be moved from the Stroke Unit tomorrow which is not unreasonable given he hasn’t had a stroke.
My Mum is very concerned about him as he doesn’t appear to be improving and in many ways she thinks he is deteriorating; the chap in the next bed informed her that Dad had had a ‘bad day’ when she arrived at visiting time.
Do these symptoms ring any bells with anyone?
It was thought he had a stroke. The scans and tests (CAT and MRI) have shown he hasn’t. In fact, there is nothing wrong with his head at all although he has a bit of left-sided weakness and slight double-vision at the periphery of his sight.
He is, however, being treated (with hefty Anti-Bs) for an unidentified infection and given oxygen.
This manifested itself as seemingly sudden onset pneumonia leaving him unable to speak or take a proper breath which is why he was originally blue-lighted into hospital in the small hours of Friday morning.
In just over a fortnight he has experienced momentary complete blindness, momentary aphasia/dysphasia and similarly short-lived total deafness and visual distortions.
He has been vomiting and coughing to the extent where he has burst a blood vessel in his throat.
He is greatly confused and very restless.
He doesn’t recognise the bed/ward and asks to go back to where he was previously and then he’ll be more settled. (He was previously in ITU and was the only conscious patient in there). He’s barely eating and drinking (not helped by the really unappetising food he is being given) and even a freshly made Costa Cappuccino held no appeal for him.
He’ll probably be moved from the Stroke Unit tomorrow which is not unreasonable given he hasn’t had a stroke.
My Mum is very concerned about him as he doesn’t appear to be improving and in many ways she thinks he is deteriorating; the chap in the next bed informed her that Dad had had a ‘bad day’ when she arrived at visiting time.
Do these symptoms ring any bells with anyone?
Answers
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by jackthehat. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
Does he suffer from arrhythmia, jack......
My Mater has just had a big attack, found collapsed in her Home bathroom, thought to be a TIA (mini-stroke) as her head was on one side and her left cheek 'jowl' was collapsed....into the hossie on Thursday pm. I was there when she arrived and said, 'No TIA'....
Triage, Ecg, X rays, CT scan and nowt....Bloods showed the start of a UTI (urinary tract infection) and this could have caused her to overheat and go down.......treatment antibiotics..... It takes time to recover if a serious arrhythmia, sleep essential.
My Mater has just had a big attack, found collapsed in her Home bathroom, thought to be a TIA (mini-stroke) as her head was on one side and her left cheek 'jowl' was collapsed....into the hossie on Thursday pm. I was there when she arrived and said, 'No TIA'....
Triage, Ecg, X rays, CT scan and nowt....Bloods showed the start of a UTI (urinary tract infection) and this could have caused her to overheat and go down.......treatment antibiotics..... It takes time to recover if a serious arrhythmia, sleep essential.
It is nice to read a well typed history to which a reasonable response may be given.
A normal MRI and CT scan does not rule out a TIA which on the surface seems to be the obvious diagnosis.
However brain tumours are excluded with normal MRI scans.
There may well be a reason why your father is having antibiotics based on the result of blood tests or chest X-Rays.
I cannot give a better answer than that and i assume that it will be a matter of "monitoring the situation" until a more positive lead comes to the surface.
A normal MRI and CT scan does not rule out a TIA which on the surface seems to be the obvious diagnosis.
However brain tumours are excluded with normal MRI scans.
There may well be a reason why your father is having antibiotics based on the result of blood tests or chest X-Rays.
I cannot give a better answer than that and i assume that it will be a matter of "monitoring the situation" until a more positive lead comes to the surface.
and do you have his blood pressure results....The Mater was 60/40 at the Home, 80/50 in triage at the hospital and two hours later 130/80.....
She has advanced Alzheimer's.....I'm in the throes of writing a book about it from a carer's perspective (2/3rds written now) a bio, tips and humour involved, to be published on-line by the end of November.
She has advanced Alzheimer's.....I'm in the throes of writing a book about it from a carer's perspective (2/3rds written now) a bio, tips and humour involved, to be published on-line by the end of November.
The Mater had anew CT scan from a recently installed machone, it only takes a few seconds to go through, and the doc in A&E took me through what it showed, the atrophyism of the brain from Alzheimer's very extensive but the blood vessels showing no signs of any new TIA as in no clottings, these leading to the vascular dementia.....they can even get some idea of the ageing of the blood clots as well, which is really quite remarkable.
Yes TIA...the T stands for transient and you father's symptoms are certainly more prolonged than that.
They certainly must have good evidence that his symptoms are due to an infection before putting him onto high doses of antibiotics.
But where is that infection?
As I said this is a matter of monitoring the situation.
They certainly must have good evidence that his symptoms are due to an infection before putting him onto high doses of antibiotics.
But where is that infection?
As I said this is a matter of monitoring the situation.
I am not a medic.
Has he got any pre-existing health issues, might be a minor problem? Could he have accidentally been poisoned?
I hope that the doctors can identify what the problem is. It must be a nightmare for all of you.
Dr Google can be helpful but it may also come up with some whacko results.
Has he got any pre-existing health issues, might be a minor problem? Could he have accidentally been poisoned?
I hope that the doctors can identify what the problem is. It must be a nightmare for all of you.
Dr Google can be helpful but it may also come up with some whacko results.
Related Questions
Sorry, we can't find any related questions. Try using the search bar at the top of the page to search for some keywords, or choose a topic and submit your own question.