Quizzes & Puzzles62 mins ago
Medical Query About Pancreatitis
3 Answers
Hello, I'm hoping someone with a bit more medical knowledge than me can help to answer my question(s).
My Dad died in August last year. He had been suffering on and off throughout the first lockdown with recurrent urine infections and, because it wasn't easy to see a GP face-to-face at the time, he was prescribed several (6 I think) courses of antibiotics over the phone. By August he had another infection and finally saw a doctor who said he was a bit concerned about my Dad's liver and asked him to go into hospital for some tests.
He was in hospital for a few days, tests had been run but weren't showing anything conclusive. He'd been put on a further course of "strong" antibiotics (don't know which ones) and, by the nurses' accounts (we weren't allowed to visit him) he was doing okay. Then, after a few days he just collapsed in his bed and we were told that we could come to be with him as his prognosis was bleak. When we arrived he wasn't on any drips/monitors etc. as the doctors had basically said that he would die within 24 hours (and really there was nothing they could do for him) - yet no one seemed to know what was wrong with him or why he was in this condition. He did pass away the following day.
Anyway, the death report cited sepsis caused by pancreatitis as his leading cause of death.
I've tried to google info. on this but with no real joy. I have so many questions so please, if you can, shed some light for me:
1) Do recurrent urine infections cause pancreatitis or does pancreatitis show itself via urine infections?
2) If Dad had pancreatitis throughout lockdown then surely he'd have been much more poorly earlier on? He only complained of being a bit uncomfortable when passing water. He did lose a fair amount of weight though, towards the end.
3) How can 6 - 7 courses of antibiotics not have helped clear up the infections?
4) Did sepsis occur due to pancreas tissue becoming necrotic? But again, if he was on strong antibiotics then how come sepsis wasn't prevented?
5) If he was having various blood tests and scans then would pancreas issues not have been spotted?
6)If sepsis was the final killer then surely my Dad would have shown signs/symptoms of this? But he was just sat up in bed drinking a cup of tea and then collapsed . . .
I'm sorry for the lengthy post but I'm desperate to understand how this happened. I'm not looking for any signs of medical negligence or malpractice etc. I'm sure everyone did what they could. I just want to know for my own peace of mind.
Thanks in advance.
My Dad died in August last year. He had been suffering on and off throughout the first lockdown with recurrent urine infections and, because it wasn't easy to see a GP face-to-face at the time, he was prescribed several (6 I think) courses of antibiotics over the phone. By August he had another infection and finally saw a doctor who said he was a bit concerned about my Dad's liver and asked him to go into hospital for some tests.
He was in hospital for a few days, tests had been run but weren't showing anything conclusive. He'd been put on a further course of "strong" antibiotics (don't know which ones) and, by the nurses' accounts (we weren't allowed to visit him) he was doing okay. Then, after a few days he just collapsed in his bed and we were told that we could come to be with him as his prognosis was bleak. When we arrived he wasn't on any drips/monitors etc. as the doctors had basically said that he would die within 24 hours (and really there was nothing they could do for him) - yet no one seemed to know what was wrong with him or why he was in this condition. He did pass away the following day.
Anyway, the death report cited sepsis caused by pancreatitis as his leading cause of death.
I've tried to google info. on this but with no real joy. I have so many questions so please, if you can, shed some light for me:
1) Do recurrent urine infections cause pancreatitis or does pancreatitis show itself via urine infections?
2) If Dad had pancreatitis throughout lockdown then surely he'd have been much more poorly earlier on? He only complained of being a bit uncomfortable when passing water. He did lose a fair amount of weight though, towards the end.
3) How can 6 - 7 courses of antibiotics not have helped clear up the infections?
4) Did sepsis occur due to pancreas tissue becoming necrotic? But again, if he was on strong antibiotics then how come sepsis wasn't prevented?
5) If he was having various blood tests and scans then would pancreas issues not have been spotted?
6)If sepsis was the final killer then surely my Dad would have shown signs/symptoms of this? But he was just sat up in bed drinking a cup of tea and then collapsed . . .
I'm sorry for the lengthy post but I'm desperate to understand how this happened. I'm not looking for any signs of medical negligence or malpractice etc. I'm sure everyone did what they could. I just want to know for my own peace of mind.
Thanks in advance.
Answers
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In patients with acute pancreatitis about 25% do have urinary tract infections which predate the pancreatic problem or is a concomitant feature.
Not necessarily, acute pancreatitis may start insidiously and not necessarily present as the explosive condition for which it is noted.
Antibiotics play no part in the treatment of acute pancreatitis but may well be used to treat associated infections such as UTI as was the case with your father.
I cannot comment on why the antibiotics didn't work except to say that your farther's symptoms were mainly due to his pancreatitis and not his water infections.
The early stages of pancreatitis canbe difficult to diagnose,but even so, pancreatic enzyme levels which if elevated should make acute pancreatitis an early and obvious contender for the diagnosis.
Computerised tomography would also help in the diagnosis.
Anything can happen in any way and sudden collapse would either suggest a blood clot in the lung or a heart attack either of which could have been picked up at post mortem.
Sudden collapse as you have described it is unusual in sepsis, but as I have said....anything can happen in the field of Medicine and Surgery.
You are clearly concerned and I am sorry for your loss.
Not necessarily, acute pancreatitis may start insidiously and not necessarily present as the explosive condition for which it is noted.
Antibiotics play no part in the treatment of acute pancreatitis but may well be used to treat associated infections such as UTI as was the case with your father.
I cannot comment on why the antibiotics didn't work except to say that your farther's symptoms were mainly due to his pancreatitis and not his water infections.
The early stages of pancreatitis canbe difficult to diagnose,but even so, pancreatic enzyme levels which if elevated should make acute pancreatitis an early and obvious contender for the diagnosis.
Computerised tomography would also help in the diagnosis.
Anything can happen in any way and sudden collapse would either suggest a blood clot in the lung or a heart attack either of which could have been picked up at post mortem.
Sudden collapse as you have described it is unusual in sepsis, but as I have said....anything can happen in the field of Medicine and Surgery.
You are clearly concerned and I am sorry for your loss.
I think you should contact PALS at the hospital where your father died ( I am sorry for your loss) and ask to see a member of the team that was treating your Dad
They can answer the questions. It is not so much does this happen or does that happen - but what happened with your Dad.
They will be in a position to say and explain
(the short answer is: pancreatitis can be very serious, and people can die from it) - and a propos of nothing, this will take you ( loss of Dad) about a year to get over.
They can answer the questions. It is not so much does this happen or does that happen - but what happened with your Dad.
They will be in a position to say and explain
(the short answer is: pancreatitis can be very serious, and people can die from it) - and a propos of nothing, this will take you ( loss of Dad) about a year to get over.
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