5 weeks old....bronchiolitis

[clairindespair]

My baby son was admitted to hospital last night with retraction

His sats, heart rate and overall self are fine, however he seems to be working hard to breathe and is now on CPAP after a night on optiflow

Any success stories as I’m so anxious and worked up.

They’ve said they’re doing it now because he keeps having wobbles and keep getting agitated and they want to rest him

Do u have to be transferred to another hospital for a PICU unit or are you lucky to be in a big hospital that has one?

We’re going to a PICU

Thinking of you and little one

I was in the John Radcliffe. They were fabulous there. Good luck, I'll be fine

IT'll be fine

Ok, this is horrible for you, I can't imagine how scared you must be. PICU will be good for him, expert Drs on the unit & vastly experienced nurses at his bedside 24/7. For an unwell child it is much better to be "just" sick enough to be on PICU than "just" well enough to be on a ward.

They have intubated him and he didn’t deteriorate. He is stable.

Glad to see your thread is back up! Thinking of you and your little boy. Hope he improves soon. X

His oxygen levels are already improving

Hope little one makes a quick recovery! Think you said in your previous thread you’re in the Manchester area? I used to work in the picu there, they’re fab and will look after you well - the family liaison team are absolutely lovely so it’s worth having a chat with them about how you’ve been feeling.

He has a collapse in his upper right lung because of the secretions

Do you know how they will treat that Clair? Sounds really scary and you are being so brave. Has your Mum been able to stay with him so you can get some rest?

They’re not worried they said it’s because of either infection or snot or phlegm and the pressure from the vent will inflate it

My middle DD had this aged 5 days. She was ventilated and tube fed for around 4 days before she seemed to turn the corner. They can't treat with antibiotics, they just have to fight it themselves and it is awful but they are very used to children having this in the winter.

I was obsessive about keeping away from people with colds however afterwards!

Claire.... I'm sure your picu will be like mine and you won't be able to stay with him overnight (unless u sit in a chair). They strongly encourage u to go and sleep (hopefully you'll get an emergency room). It's hard but after shift change FORCE yourself to leave and go and get some sleep. I used to leave her around 9.30 and I'd be back out by 6am.... nothing happens overnight. They just monitor etc. And if there was any issues they call u.

Also make sure you EAT (I found that so hard. When I'm stressed by appetite disappears)

My DD was intubated for a collapse and as scary as it is I hope you’re managing to eat and rest when possible, from everything I’ve read from your previous thread and this one you’ve got some good fight in you OP and my money is on your DS having the same within him.

It took a while for my DD to fully recover, she came home with oxygen and they predicted she would need it for at least two years, with asthma as a possibility for the future, she came off the home oxygen at 11 months old (she was only 2months when she got bronchiolitis and barely weighed anything due to my pregnancy complications) and hasn’t needed it since, her lungs are now very strong and her Paediatrician continues to comment on how impressed she is with my DD’s clear lungs - which a lot of people find weird when I tell them but then I remember it’s hard to understand if you’ve not been there.

He is only on 25% oxygen

My DD had bronchiolitis at 6 weeks and she was OK. Not hospitalised but the GP implied she could have been, had it been a little longer before I brought her in.

The only (unproven but according to dentist often linked with early illness like this) side effect was a couple of over-calcified baby teeth.

I really hope everything works out - I'm sure it will.

My son had it 20 years ago and he is now at Uni in his second year . He was a very poorly baby with sats below 80 . Sending you lots of positive thoughts 💐

Sounds like he’s doing well, hope he continues to improve

Have you been transferred to PICU yet or still waiting for staff to be available? Glad he seems to be doing well and isn’t needing much oxygen, hope you managed to get some rest overnight

We’re in PICU at royal Manchester. He’s on 30% now but RSV confirmed.

The vent is doing all of his breathing for him. That worries me but they’re not worried really and said they can’t see why he wouldn’t recover (over anxious mum!)

It must be hard to see them being so seemingly blasé about it but it's just because it's so normal to them, they must see loads of cases every winter. The vent is doing his breathing so he doesn't have to - because then his body can put its energy into making him better. Make sure you eat, drink and rest too.