To back to the ward and refuse to leave?!

[Kidneyschmidney]

I know it's in AIBU and thats bad but I need advice.

Ive had a uti for 3 weeks now on 3 different antibiotics. On Thursday I went to A&E and it admitted for a kidney infection, had 3 doses of IV antibiotics and was released with Cipro for a week.

I had a phone call from the dr this afternoon saying that my blood cultures have grown Staphylococcus Aureus, which is unusual in a uti. She said she'd ring me back once the microbiologist had done a sensitivity test on the bug and see if I'm on the right antibiotics. She hasn't yet and now it's shift change and no one knows what's going on.

My issue is- do I take the antibiotics tonight or leave it incase they ring tomorrow and say no take these instead... also they said to come back in if I felt shit again and I have a temp of 38 and the back pain is back. So do I go to the surgical assessment unit I was on last night or A&E?

Gah it's such a mess!! Please help!

keep taking the antibiotics until you're told otherwise

Back to the ward. If you go in through a and e again it’ll be classed as a separate ‘visit’

Thank you. They don't seem to have a clue what's going on. It's odd to have Staph A in uti and they don't know what to do.

Sit tight. You can't just represent at a ward that you aren't admitted to. Your sample has already grown a bug, and that bug has been identified, which is good. Now, time is needed to see what the bug responds to, so the correct treatment is identified. You have already been given the standard antibiotic for UTI, and lots of staph UTIs will still respond to that, but they'll want to be sure that your one will, rather than assuming.

Give them some time to get shift-change sorted, then you can call them again to check if the results are in and what's best to do.

Most hospitals have a "failed discharge" policy of either 24 or 48 hours, however this relies on there being a bed available on the ward that discharged you, which is highly unlikely on a SAU which will have a quick turn around of patients, so it is likely you will get stuck in a&e again.

If you can hold out till tomorrow, they will be more likely to have your sensitivity test results back and be able to sort you out properly. Take some paracetamol (and keep taking it regularly through the night) and try and get as good a nights sleep as you can in your own bed. Keep going on the antibiotics until they say otherwise.

Have you got someone at home with you to keep an eye on you?

I'd carry on taking the Cipro until you hear otherwise. I'd phone in the morning after ward rounds.

It could be a contaminated sample keep taking the tablets OP , hope you feel much better.

The way microbiology works is that if they find a bug, they then try it against different antibiotics to find the sensitivities.
If the bug was found today, sensitivities won't be available until tomorrow.
If you went in now, nothing would change. They'd keep you on those antibiotics until the sensitivities come back tomorrow at which point you'll know if you're on the right one, or if it needs to be changed.
Stay home, don't miss a dose of antibiotics and if you haven't heard anything by lunchtime ring the hospital.

Perhaps you could phone the ward for advice? You are on antibiotics which ought to be helping- they can take time. But as you are feeling more unwell, it may not be unreasonable to phone them- or perhaps NHS 24? Unless you were given an open access to the ward, I don't think it will be possible to just represent to the ward (and you should know if they said you could come back for assessment if you had concerns). Even if you do just turn up at the ward if they don't have a bed you can "refuse to leave" all you like but they can't put you in a bed they don't have.

If you feel really unwell and the ward haven't given you access, I think your options are A&E or OOH GP.

But agree with Negomi- the ward won't have any more information if the sensitivities aren't back from microbiology (which they won't be) so going in is unlikely to change anything unless you feel so unwell that you feel you need to be seen.

I know this is a very unhelpful post in your situation, howver I had a terrible experience with Cipro side effects and would not recommend taking them unless it's the ONLY option. I was prescribed them for a suspected UTI which turned out not to be a UTI at all, and suffered all sorts of nerve damage and excrutiating foot and achilles tendon pain which took several months to subside and two years to recover fully. This was after 6 doses over 3 days.

www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/10/07/popular-quinolone-antibiotics-can-cause-permanent-nerve-damage/

Also:
www.facebook.com/FluoroquinoloneToxicity/

Be very careful taking this drug, and DO NOT take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen whilst on Cipro.

ThisIs

It is unhelpful advice. I'm not clear whether you are suggesting the OP stop this medication, but I would never suggest telling someone to stop medication prescribed to them when you don't know the circumstances or specific medical history of the patient.

You were unfortunate, but I have prescribed quinolines for a many patients without incident. Of course, adverse reactions and side-effects can and do happen- and in your case was severe and I can understand your feelings about the medication given that. But it is a medication which has it's place.

quinolines should read quinolones.

Just had a thought the hca on Thursday night put the canula in my left arm couldn’t get it in, took it out put it on the trolley and then tried again with the same canula on my right arm and that’s the one they took the blood cultures out of. Is that where it could have been contaminated?

I've had cipro many times with zero side effects and taken it fine alongside various painkillers. Don't stop taking your prescribed meds OP.

Yes, that could have done it.

Yes. It can have come from the skin.

Appreciate what you are saying jacks11 but they should be reserved for life and death situations, not for UTIs unless everything else has been tried. The list of potential side-effects and conto-indicated meds is as long as your arm, and they are not trivial side-effects.

And I'm not telling OP to not take them, but please consult your doc about whether or not you absolutely need to take them.

Keep taking the antibiotics till you are told to stop and given new ones! If you are concerned or feel worse then there is no point going the ward they may not have beds are unlikely to have drs there ect ect you need to go to a&e.

Do you know when the blood cultures were taken before or after the cannula?

Sorry. Not a medical person but DS had your bug show up in bloids after appendectomy amd microbiology said it could have been introduced during blood tests or cannula insertion as they had at least 6 tries.

Do not stop the antibiotics. Full stop.

Otherwise follow the advice regarding pain/temperature etc.

Staph aureus is a bastard, and they will have all hands on deck sorting you out, so sit tight, the microbiologist won't let you slip through the cracks.

No you don't go back and refuse to leave. That's just not how to treat our NHS staff. Perhaps you listen to them and take your anti booties while you wait to hear from them.