Has anyone had 14 days IV Anit-biotics?

[KatyMac]

If so what for & how did it affect you?

DH is off to hospital tomorrow & a bit scared

[ThingOne]

I had ten days IV, was discharged on oral and back in three days later for three or four more days IV.

What is it that scares you/your DH? Then perhaps I can tell you a bit about that bit of it.

[KatyMac]

The thing in his arm

How does he get dressed

Will they let him eat (obv yes...but men)

Can he have a bath/shower

[smurfgirl]

The Ivs only run for a short time at a time anyway so he will be mildly inconvinced at best - or if a bag is running and he wants to get changed the nurse can help him.
Eating is no problem.

Can have a bath/shower yes. Will probably be shower.

[KatyMac]

Cool

You would think he was having major surgery

Will they upset his tummy do you think? He is on 750 twice a day atm which has knocked him for 6

[ThingOne]

He will have a venflon or cannula (I don't know what the difference is despite having both regularly) which will probably have to be removed and resited every three days or so. All hospitals have different protocols. It's a big ouch as it goes in but not that bad. You look away if you don't like needles. They'll probably put a large see through plaster over it to keep it in place and keep it clean. He may find it awkward for the first couple of days but he'll get used to it. He'll have to anyway!

It's easy to get dressed with them on. You just don't get dressed while you are actually having the antibiotics. You just have the thing in your hand/arm, with little covers on. If he needs help getting dressed a nurse will help him.

What he is allowed to eat depends entirely on what is wrong with him. Having anything IV doesn't, in itself, have any bearing on diet .

He will be allowed to get washed. Arrangements will depend on the ward. If he finds it difficult he will be given help but if he's well enough to be at home waiting admission for ABs I imagine he'll be well enough to manage himself. He may need to make a bit of effort and it can be fiddly and take some time but he won't be short of time on a hospital ward .

I wouldn't fret too much. It's more likely to be bloody boring than anything else. He needs:
-ipod with songs and podcasts
-mags
-crappy novels
-tasty fruit
-fruit juice/ribena etc if he doesn't like drinking water
-pen and paper
-placcy bags for dirty washing for you to take home
-phone and charger
-a zen like calmness to prepare for all that waiting and doing nothing!

Anything else?

[ThingOne]

They upset my tummy quite a lot. Last hospital I was in had introduced policy of giving yakult twice a day to those on abs for more than three days so you could take in live yoghurt each day.

[KatyMac]

Sounds good

Thanks for the reassurance

[Tiggly]

Gastroenterologists suggest drinking things like Actamel (sp?) or the macrobiotic drinks when on high dose antibiotics in order to help protect the gut. The cannulae placed in his arm in order to administer the antibiotics is inserted with a needle, but this is removed once sited and only a plastic tube remains in place. One thing to be aware of is that whenever medicines are administered through the cannulae it should never hurt / sting / be sore or red. If this happens (as certain iv antibiotics are like Domestos on the veins!) then tell him to report it to the nurses / doctors immediately as it is not right and should be replaced! Hth. (I work in oncology and site about 10-20 cannulae a day on a busy day!).If you need to know anything else, just ask! Also, depending on where they site the cannulae, you can shower with them insitu (the dressing around it may need replacing afterwards as they aren't great, particularly with hairy hands/arms!).Tigglyx

[KatyMac]

He can (apparently) come out after 4 days & then do it for him self???

[ThingOne]

Maybe they are starting him on IV then sending him home on oral? I'm a patient though, not a doctor or nurse so can only speculate.

[KatyMac]

No def he has to learn how to do the IV (he never will)

[ThingOne]

Just jealous then about all the time I spent in! I was very ill to start will but was gagging to go home by the time they let me.

[ThingOne]

District nurse maybe? They visit you at home. You supply tea and biscuits and they supply care and chat .

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

I had it for a number of days after ds3 was born. 3 different types several times a day.

It made me very tired and I got to the stage where I could taste the ABs as they entered my bloodstream (metallic). It was revolting. I mentioned it to my midwife and she said it was quite common for the antibs I was on.

[KatyMac]

Hmm- Well DH is a bit delicate but he is fairly healthy (well you would be after 750 A-Bs twice a day)

If the district nurse has to do it I can see me spending large amounts of time on the phone arranging it

[Tiggly]

a one off phone call made by the nurses on the ward should be all that it takes to arrange the district nurses hopefully!. in certain areas locally to where i work, we have "rapid response nurses" who go out specifically to administer antibiotics iv to patients in order to free up beds more quickly and decrease the time patients spend in hospital, with the chance of picking up other bugs. Locally we wouldn't advocate patients administering their own antibiotics as the venflon (or cannulae - venflon in the brand name of the cannulae, one of the most common types used)needs to be checked for patency and for signs of extravasation / infection etc.

[KatyMac]

Oh that does not fill me with hope

Hospital in Cambridge, we live in backend of beyond Norfolk - so they are different HA I guess

[Tiggly]

I am in Wales where things are different again, but the principles of cannulation should be the same, as should the care of them (researched and evidence based etc etc). Have a chat to the ward nurses to find out for certain what the plan is,i.e.is he to administer the antibiotics himself if not then by whom will it be done (when, how often per day, for how long, follow up afterwards to ensure they have done the job) what contingencies are in place if he has to administer the antibiotics himself and there is a problem? Just some questions to ask! hth.

[ThingOne]

Thank you Tiggly for telling me about venflon and cannulae. I have asked but got blank looks. You know the kind of things you have too much time to wonder about when you are in hospital .

I've found district nurses easy to deal with. Mine have an answerphone and if you need them that day you leave a message before 8.30am. If it's urgent obviously you can contact them faster. I don't spend lots of time on the phone to them unless I need on-phone paranoia quelling. They are good at this.

[KatyMac]

Thanks

I can see him being in all fortnight

We live 2 hrs plus from the hospital - we can't afford to be going back & forth (mean as that sounds)

I am dropping him off & won't be visiting until he comes home

[Tiggly]

Ask him to get the answers for you! Find out what is available in your area i.e. the rapid response nurses or even the district nurses may provide the antibiotics (which would be better all round). To administer the medicine it isn't rocket science but it is a case of knowing what to look out for and problem solving. it will probably be on a dose of antibiotics that need only be given once or twice a day so should be easy enough for district nurses to sort out! So long as he has 7 - 10 days of iv antibiotics then that should be enough to boost the system in order for him to come home on oral antibiotics depending on what he is having them for obviously! (none of my business so don't worry about discussing it!). Just wish you were local so I could give you better advice! Keep me posted though?
Thingone: no worries! glad I could help! Just brand naming like brufen and neurofen!
tigglyxx

[KatyMac]

Just a lung infection (as opposed to a chest infection) that he might have had 3-5 yrs and might take 2 yrs to go away

[Tiggly]

Aha, probably a good 10 day dose of strong iv's and then home with strong oral antibiotics may be the plan with any luck but get him to ask the questions when he is admitted,from the doctor admitting him if its the registrar, or the consultant if they are around. Good luck and let us know what happens, will be thinking of youxx

[ThingOne]

Good luck with it Katy. I've just been in hospital 1 3/4 hours drive away and I made DH visit me! But wouldn't have been possible for a fortnight. Can you send him in with some DVDs? The day room may well have a player and the ones there are likely to be pants.

[KatyMac]

We have a bed

God knows what we would have done if we hadn't