Post-op wound infection in diabetic patients: what to do?

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?

Mark Hall10 said:I am begging you all for any advice, similar stories, or anything at all! Here’s the situation: my grandfather took a fall and broke his shoulder. He had surgery, which the doctors claimed was a "success." They sent him home to recover, and since he’s diabetic, we fully expected the wound healing to be a bit more complicated. But they were completely negligent—it honestly felt like they didn't give a damn just because he’s an 80-year-old man who they probably think is on his way out anyway. It’s absolutely disgraceful! He ended up back in the hospital in the ICU because his blood sugar spiked to 30 and there was some "mystery" inflammation causing the chaos. After four days of nothing but endless tests, we finally pushed them—we practically forced their hands—to reopen the wound and actually look at it, because we were convinced that was the root of this nightmare. And wouldn't you know it? They opened it up and found a massive infection! What happens next?

Proper microbiological workup—specifically blood cultures and a wound swab—followed by the appropriate antibiotic therapy.
On top of that, getting his diabetes under control and managing any other underlying health issues is absolutely critical.

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!

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?

Honestly, there’s a whole laundry list of things working against a smooth recovery in this particular situation.
First off, we’re dealing with an older patient—and let's be real, the body just doesn't bounce back quite as fast as it used to when you're getting up there in years; tissue regeneration just isn't what it was in our twenties.
Then you’ve got poorly managed diabetes, which I'm guessing has been part of the picture for a while now, and that's a massive hurdle because it absolutely wreaks havoc on microcirculation. That slows down wound healing to a crawl, and unfortunately, that kind of tissue becomes a perfect little playground for bacteria to move in and set up camp.
Because of all that, surgical options are pretty limited right now. At the end of the day, the absolute priority has to be getting that blood sugar under control and clearing out any infection first; only then can a surgeon actually step in and do something meaningful that won't just be wasted.
Plus, we're flying blind here since we don't have the full story on things like smoking, alcohol use, BMI, or their previous medical history, all of which play a huge role in how well a wound heals.

Mark Hall10 said:To whom it may concern,
I’m writing about my father. He’s a diabetic who unfortunately broke his shoulder. He had surgery, which the surgeon claimed was a success, but they warned us we needed to get his blood sugar under control immediately. Because of his own negligence, we failed to manage his diabetes, leaving his glucose levels hovering around a dangerous 20. Now, the surgical wound is severely infected. He’s been readmitted to the hospital to transition him over to insulin, but after some tests, his sedimentation rate is sitting at 100, the wound is flared up again, and there's pus leaking out—it looks absolutely horrific. It’s been two months since the operation, and despite constant follow-ups with the surgeon, they aren't doing anything concrete! What do you advise? What should our next move be?

They need to run a culture on the wound to isolate the specific pathogen causing this infection—maybe even a blood culture—and then start targeted antibiotics based on those results.
Managing his diabetes is absolutely critical here. It dictates how well the wound can heal through several different mechanisms, especially since diabetes causes microvascular insufficiency by damaging the vessel walls.
It’s also worth noting that wound healing isn't nearly as simple as people think; it actually involves several distinct stages:
The acute inflammatory phase,
Granulation tissue formation,
Early scar tissue development, and
Scar remodeling.
Throughout these processes, various cells play vital roles, such as neutrophils, macrophages, fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, and angioblasts.

Mark Hall10 said:I don't want to be a bore, but I have another question! So, there's a patient currently in the ICU, and since they were admitted, they've been completely disoriented. After talking things through with the doctor, we found out he's being given IV Chlorpromazine to calm him down because his agitation is just off the charts! Now I'm wondering—is it actually possible, or even normal, for him to be lying there in this "semi-comatose" state for two days straight? He can barely speak, can hardly keep his eyes open, and everything else... Thanks in advance!

Replying late here—I missed the question entirely, but whatever.
If you ask me, he was likely being administered Chlorpromazine—an antipsychotic—and everything you're describing sounds like textbook side effects from that class of medication.