Medical Update:
Grace Patti's ICU physician called for an urgent family meeting this evening. Apparently, last night and into this morning the breathing machine (ventilator) was noted to be dealing with higher and higher lung pressures. A CT Scan of the lower part of her lungs and abdomen showed an increased amount of fluid on the left (about 1/2 of the lung) and new fluid on the right (about 1/3 of the lung). Patti also has a severe ileus (her bowels have not worked very well today) as a result they have had to stop feeding by the feeding tube. Grace Patti is also very swollen head to toe. The main cause for the swelling appears to be all the fluids she needed while in shock and during blood transfusions. In addition to trying to get her bowels working again this evening they will also be giving Patti diuretics (meds to help remove extra fluid). However her doctor does not feel these measures are enough on their own so he has changed the settings on the ventilator so it will not damage her lungs with too much pressure. He has also recommended bilateral (both sides) pediatric chest tubes to remove the extra fluid surrounding the lungs. After discussing this it was decided to proceed with a chest tube on the left lung, then on the right lung IF Patti does not respond to all the other adjustments to remove the extra fluid and extra pressure on the lungs.
Written by: Bates Moses, MD (Grace Patti's grandson)
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