5 posts shown.
To whom it may concern,
I’m reaching out regarding my father—he’s a diabetic who recently suffered a broken shoulder. He underwent surgery, which the surgeon deemed a success, though we were immediately warned to get his blood sugar under control. Unfortunately, due to his own negligence, we haven't been able to stabilize his glucose levels; he’s been hovering around a constant 20 mmol/L, and predictably, the surgical wound has become severely infected. He is now back in the hospital to finally transition him onto insulin, but after some recent tests, his sedimentation rate is sitting at 100. The wound has flared up again—there is pus draining from it, and frankly, it looks horrific. It’s been two months since the initial operation, and despite regular follow-ups with the surgeon, they haven't actually done anything concrete to address this. What would you advise in a situation like this? What should our next move be?
Angela Wright said:Oh, absolutely—that’s the gospel truth right there. Though, honestly, it really just boils down to which department you're stuck in. If you have a decent manager, the whole unit runs like a Swiss watch. Take my experience over at Jack working under the Knight—it's pure chaos whenever a site visit is looming. Everything gets scrubbed, files are shuffled, things are hidden away... it's a frantic scramble to look perfect. There's a very rigid system in place to ensure nobody deviates from the script.
And that's exactly how it should be. Kudos to anyone actually capable of enforcing that kind of "regime."
Honestly, I envy anyone who doesn't have to deal with them. While there are certainly exceptions to the rule, the hospital I've been forced to visit lately has become a complete circus—it's impossible to tell who’s actually running the show. You've got custodial staff acting like they own the place, while the nurses carry themselves with more authority than the chief of medicine. Getting a word in with an actual doctor? Forget about it. Even trying to get a simple update from a nurse—like whether a patient has actually eaten—is like pulling teeth. Day after day, I'm hearing more and more people vent the exact same frustrations I am.
vividsailor7 said:Proper microbiological workup—meaning blood cultures and wound swabs—along with appropriate antibiotic therapy is key.
It’s also vital to manage their diabetes effectively and address any other underlying health issues.
I don't mean to be a bore, but I have another question if you don't mind! This patient has been in the ICU since they were admitted, and they're completely disoriented. After a quick chat with the doctor, we found out they've been getting IV Praxiten to help with some intense agitation. Now, I'm wondering—is it actually possible, or even expected, for someone to be in this semi-comatose state for two days now? They can barely speak, can hardly keep their eyes open, and it’s all just... a lot. Any insights would be appreciated!
I’m looking for some advice here—has anyone dealt with something similar, or does anyone have any insight at all? My grandfather took a fall and broke his shoulder; he ended up having surgery, which the doctors claimed was a "success." They sent him home to recover, though given that he’s diabetic, we were already bracing for a slower healing process. Honestly, the way they handled it felt incredibly negligent—as if they just didn't care because he's an 80-year-old man who, in their eyes, is basically just waiting for the end. It’s frankly appalling. He had to be readmitted to the ICU because his blood sugar spiked to 30, triggered by what they called "some kind of" inflammation. After four days of endless testing and nothing to show for it, we finally pushed back—we insisted they reopen the wound to actually look at it, since I was convinced that was the root of this entire mess. Once they did, they finally found the infection. So, where do we go from here? What is the typical next step in a situation like this?