Three weeks, productive cough and increased sputum, mild chest pain, four different antibiotics with no change, chest CT scan showing diffuse inflammation, PFTs (FVC and FEV1) down 15%.
Waiting to hear from doc what he wants to do. Last two PICCs gave me blood clots. Problem is, I am not SUPER sick but I have not improved despite 4 diff antibiotics, and CT scan shows "interesting" spots of inflammation (different from my recent and/or previous P.A. filled xrays/scans).
He wanted me to see ENT first to see if THAT CT scan showed anything, which it did, four months post-op. Clinical exam showed inflammation and infection up there.
So, medium sick with no improvement. If given the choice, would you get IVs? (Don't know what he will recommend). Nothing new showing up on CF sputum culture, but he is 100% sure it's infection. Just can't get to it to culture it.
Usually, it's obvious which way to go, but with an unknown pathogen, it's not so easy.
Waiting to hear from doc what he wants to do. Last two PICCs gave me blood clots. Problem is, I am not SUPER sick but I have not improved despite 4 diff antibiotics, and CT scan shows "interesting" spots of inflammation (different from my recent and/or previous P.A. filled xrays/scans).
He wanted me to see ENT first to see if THAT CT scan showed anything, which it did, four months post-op. Clinical exam showed inflammation and infection up there.
So, medium sick with no improvement. If given the choice, would you get IVs? (Don't know what he will recommend). Nothing new showing up on CF sputum culture, but he is 100% sure it's infection. Just can't get to it to culture it.
Usually, it's obvious which way to go, but with an unknown pathogen, it's not so easy.