My 82-year-old father developed a UTI which turned out to be staph and yeast. He was admitted to the hospital on January 19 to receive IV antibiotics over the course of 10 days. An infectious disease specialist was called in and she brought out the BIG guns: vancomyacin. They also had him on IV diflucan (which I didn't even know existed in that form.) Unfourtunately, when all this happened, I was half way around the world in Africa and had to rely on my brother for info via email.
Dad's output was severely reduced and one kidney was swollen. They changed his stents which had slipped out of his kidneys. His blood pressure was elevated and his ankles, hands and abdomen were really swollen. He was put on Lasix. He was dismissed from the hospital last Thursday with a picc line and orders for home health care to continue to administer Zossan and the Vanco for an additional 14 days. Home health care taught Mom how to do the injections through the picc line. All was going well until his blood pressure became VERY elevated: in the 280 range on the top number. He called his GP (and only gets to see the PA) and she started experimenting (my word) with different drugs in different doses. Didn't work.
Dad started having chest pain last night and it became severe enough that he went to the GP's office this morning. They asked if he had a cardiologist and Dad remembered the name of one he had 20 years ago. So, the GP sent him to the ER of a hospital where the cardiologist had privileges. However, neither his local uro nor the GP have privileges at this hospital!!! So now we have to start over with all new doctors telling the story again.
My brother has called a kidney specialist who will hopefully see Dad tomorrow. His output is severely reduced from what it has been in the past and his feet and ankles and hands and abdomen are swollen again. At the hospital where he is now, he does not have a urologist consulting on the case. I think we should get him to a different hospital. Needless to say, he is down and depressed and has about given up on getting past all this. I got back in town this evening and found out that he was back in the hospital. I can start asking questions of all the doctors and nurses starting tomorrow.
Is it unusual for a person to be on vancomycin for almost a month? Home health care took his blood a few days ago and the vanco levels were off the charts. The lab suggested that the doctor review the dosage. His potassium levels are low, red blood count low, glucose low, creatinine high, albumin low, all of which indicate kidney problems to me. I think it could even be congestive heart failure due to fluids collecting around his heart that his causing his chest pains but nobody has suggested that yet.
Things were going so well until he got that darned UTI. Hopefully, we will know more tomorrow and maybe I can get him to a decent hospital. I am praying that his heart and kidney are not damaged.
