Another question (re pneumonia treatment and recent events)

December 22, 2011

Thanks to everyone who responded regarding my father's recent trip to

the hospital and his bout of pneumonia. I've taken everything everyone

has kindly gone to the trouble of sending on-board and am more than

grateful.

Dad was released today - a bit of a shock considering we were led to

believe it was something very serious but apparently now it's a 'minor

chest infection'. Dad spent a grand total of two nights in hospital. He

was on IV antibiotics (a combination of two: a penicillin-based one and

erythromycin) and these were then changed to different antibiotics which

he is still taking orally (clarithromycin and amoxycillin). I'm not sure

but I think it was just the erythromycin that was changed. Aside from

these, there has been no other change in medication. We were told Dad

did have two falls with 'apparently' no injury. One was when the physio

let him walk on his own (they were told he needed to have an aide at all

times) and another when the nurse " left the room for one minute " and Dad

apparently got out of his chair on his own and fell.

I now have a couple more questions relating to behavioural changes since

Dad was hospitalised:

* Dad has never been incontinent and wasn't on his first night in

hospital. After the first night though, when we went to visit him the

following morning, he had wet his bed. We fixed everything up and got

him changed into new pyjamas and thought it was just a one-off and that

it probably happened due to the fact that he needs to be walked to the

toilet and was too afraid to make a fuss and ask for assistance. To cut

a long story short, he went through three pairs of pyjamas in two nights

with incontinence. We then put that down to him being in unfamiliar

surrounding and again, not wanting to ask for help.

* He was also very disorientated today and had absolutely no idea he was

in his hometown hospital. This is so unlike Dad, I can't even begin to

explain. He has memory lapses but never anything like that. Then, after

we'd got him settled back in at home, he wet himself in the living room.

Mum said just prior to that happening he had asked to be walked to the

bathroom but then when Mum told him he'd soiled himself, he didn't even

realise he had.

* When we were visiting him at the hospital last night (his second night

there) he was lying in bed and then all of a sudden his whole body

shuddered and he kind of gritted his teeth, as though he was freezing

cold. Then it happened again and then he said he needed the toilet so we

helped get him up and a nurse took him to the bathroom.

All of these behaviours are completely out of the norm for my father. I

have never seen him wet himself, nor has he ever been so disorientated,

even with LBD/PDD.

Could it be: the antibiotics? The chest infection/pneumonia? It

couldn't be the change of scenery because he's had several hospital

visits in the last 12 months with nothing like this. Plus, aside from

the infection and obvious lack of wellness, cognitively he was quite

" normal " (for his condition) when he went in. These changes are obvious

to us all and very sudden. There is no question that something in the

last two days has set this off.

I feel like Dad has taken many backward steps and am now worried he

won't ever come back to how he was pre-hospitalisation.

Sorry if this is rambling but it is pretty much stream of consciousness.

Thanking you in advance.

Tania.

(daughter and co-caregiver of Barry, dx with Parkinson's in 2009, then

LBD May 2011 and then changed to probable PDD December 2011)

December 22, 2011

Hi yes it could be the antibiotics. Clairrythromycin especially

It should improve when he is finished. Be sure he drinks a lot it water

With the antibiotics

Dorothy

from cell phone

> Thanks to everyone who responded regarding my father's recent trip to

> the hospital and his bout of pneumonia. I've taken everything everyone

> has kindly gone to the trouble of sending on-board and am more than

> grateful.

>

> Dad was released today - a bit of a shock considering we were led to

> believe it was something very serious but apparently now it's a 'minor

> chest infection'. Dad spent a grand total of two nights in hospital. He

> was on IV antibiotics (a combination of two: a penicillin-based one and

> erythromycin) and these were then changed to different antibiotics which

> he is still taking orally (clarithromycin and amoxycillin). I'm not sure

> but I think it was just the erythromycin that was changed. Aside from

> these, there has been no other change in medication. We were told Dad

> did have two falls with 'apparently' no injury. One was when the physio

> let him walk on his own (they were told he needed to have an aide at all

> times) and another when the nurse " left the room for one minute " and Dad

> apparently got out of his chair on his own and fell.

>

> I now have a couple more questions relating to behavioural changes since

> Dad was hospitalised:

>

> * Dad has never been incontinent and wasn't on his first night in

> hospital. After the first night though, when we went to visit him the

> following morning, he had wet his bed. We fixed everything up and got

> him changed into new pyjamas and thought it was just a one-off and that

> it probably happened due to the fact that he needs to be walked to the

> toilet and was too afraid to make a fuss and ask for assistance. To cut

> a long story short, he went through three pairs of pyjamas in two nights

> with incontinence. We then put that down to him being in unfamiliar

> surrounding and again, not wanting to ask for help.

>

> * He was also very disorientated today and had absolutely no idea he was

> in his hometown hospital. This is so unlike Dad, I can't even begin to

> explain. He has memory lapses but never anything like that. Then, after

> we'd got him settled back in at home, he wet himself in the living room.

> Mum said just prior to that happening he had asked to be walked to the

> bathroom but then when Mum told him he'd soiled himself, he didn't even

> realise he had.

>

> * When we were visiting him at the hospital last night (his second night

> there) he was lying in bed and then all of a sudden his whole body

> shuddered and he kind of gritted his teeth, as though he was freezing

> cold. Then it happened again and then he said he needed the toilet so we

> helped get him up and a nurse took him to the bathroom.

>

> All of these behaviours are completely out of the norm for my father. I

> have never seen him wet himself, nor has he ever been so disorientated,

> even with LBD/PDD.

>

> Could it be: the antibiotics? The chest infection/pneumonia? It

> couldn't be the change of scenery because he's had several hospital

> visits in the last 12 months with nothing like this. Plus, aside from

> the infection and obvious lack of wellness, cognitively he was quite

> " normal " (for his condition) when he went in. These changes are obvious

> to us all and very sudden. There is no question that something in the

> last two days has set this off.

>

> I feel like Dad has taken many backward steps and am now worried he

> won't ever come back to how he was pre-hospitalisation.

>

> Sorry if this is rambling but it is pretty much stream of consciousness.

>

> Thanking you in advance.

>

> Tania.

>

> (daughter and co-caregiver of Barry, dx with Parkinson's in 2009, then

> LBD May 2011 and then changed to probable PDD December 2011)

>

December 22, 2011

Yes. Infections of any kind can really knock an LBDer down. They can

recover but not always 100%. I am concerned about the shuddering attack,

though. It could be nothing but I would still want his neurons to check it

out.

I don't know how it is in AU, but here in the US, next of kin or POA can

request his records from themselves hospital. I've been handed copies of

them as part of the discharge procedure. See if your mom can get them.

His own doctor should definitely receive copies. Have his neuro go through

them with you and be sure you understand what meds he got and anything that

doesn't make sense to you.

Personally, it sounds like your dad could have been discharged a bit

early. It could involve a lot of reasons. But it could include the desire

of most hospitals to get their patients home for the holidays. Sounds

nice, but there is also the aspect of getting patient count as low as

possible so that staffing can also be as low as possible. It also lessens

the holiday pay they have to shell out. Granted I'm being a bit cynical

but I've worked at med centers and actually seen it.

Try for a happy holiday.

Kathy

Kate Knapp

> **