| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
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| quary for ICU | 3/25/2008 | Kimberlee Bates |
Q: Can patient discharge directly from ICU? or there is some observation period needed.
A: There have been cases where we have discharged patients from our surgical ICU. For instance last ...
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| Blood pressure | 3/23/2008 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: I am 47 years, I weigh 178 lb kilos. Work as a Police officer in the UK. I consider myself to have a ...
A: I like your diet and exercise regime, and congratulations on your abstinence from alcohol. Even if ...
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| Looking for Hope | 3/23/2008 | Kimberlee Bates |
Q: My father had his lung removed because of Lung Cancer and now he has been on a ventilator for about ...
A: This would depend upon any pre-existing lung complications that he may have (i.e., COPD,etc) as well ...
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| After coma and stroke | 3/9/2008 | Kimberlee Bates |
Q: my boyfriend had a terrible car accident the 22 of Feb. 08 and was put in a induced coma until the ...
A: I would first like to say that I am sorry that this has happened. Unfortunately recovering from a ...
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| COPD ventilator/tracheostomy | 2/22/2008 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My name is sarah i am 23 yrs old. my mother is 53 yrs old. she has had COPD since about 1999. She ...
A: I can understand your fears. Your mom is a young woman. I'm curious about how problematic her lung ...
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| Demerol | 2/18/2008 | Kimberlee Bates |
Q: A patient has end stage liver disease awaiting a transplant. MELD score is 21. Next day his ammonia ...
A: I would need more information before I can answer your question. You say that the next day his ...
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| COPD and Ventilator Use | 2/11/2008 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My 71 year-old father has now been in ICU for 10 days with a COPD exacerbation caused, I believe, by ...
A: I apologize for how long this has taken me to answer. I thought I had, but evidently the computer ...
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| Weaning of Tracheostomy/CPAP/Ventilator | 2/6/2008 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My mother had a tricuspid valve repair surgery and a new "MAZE" or PACE? produre (a sort of ring ...
A: It sounds as if she is actually doing well. Her weakness is to be expected. The rule of thumb I have ...
|
| ventilator/pancreatitis | 1/29/2008 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My son was admitted to ICU with pancreatitis and is on a ventilator since admission. He is 38 years ...
A: This must be really difficult for you. I hope there is some possibility of putting aside differences ...
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| off the ventilator | 1/20/2008 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: my mother is 77 had pneumonia was in icu 17 days off the ventilator now when can she eat.
A: Usually, for patients with a simple pneumonia, we allow them to start with ice chips and sips ...
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| Severe Hypothermia Recovery | 1/19/2008 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: A 57 year old male friend of mine was sick with flue and collapsed unclothed in his home from ...
A: It sounds as if the pain is related to the rhabdomyolysis he had initially. Although you don't ...
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| How long can a person stay on a ventilator after surgery | 1/18/2008 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My Dad had open heart surgery to replace a valve and an artery 4 days ago. They tried to take him ...
A: There is no real limit to how long a person can remain on a ventilator. Usually, if he is still on ...
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| Severe Hypothermia Recovery | 1/12/2008 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: A 57 year old male friend of mine was sick with flue and collapsed unclothed in his home from ...
A: I'm afraid I don't have a lot of answers for you. I'm amazed he is as intact neurologically as he ...
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| Question on becoming a Critical Care Physician | 1/6/2008 | Miranda Szopinska, M.D. |
Q: First of all I would like to thank you for volunteering to help clueless kids like me! I am a 16 ...
A: I'm glad to hear that you are interested in pursuing medicine. It is a very rewarding career. My ...
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| Please Suggest | 1/3/2008 | Miranda Szopinska, M.D. |
Q: I was supposed to undergo circumcision, but the blood test before that shown my sugar level to be ...
A: Most certainly! Any alcoholic beverage is high in sugars and carbohydrates, which elevate your ...
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| Please Suggest | 1/2/2008 | Miranda Szopinska, M.D. |
Q: I was supposed to undergo circumcision, but the blood test before that shown my sugar level to be ...
A: Diabetes is diagnosed if your blood glucose levels are 200 mg/dl or higher, regardless of whether or ...
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| Weaning off ventilator 2 | 12/30/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My grandmother went in to the hospital a few days before Thanksgiving for stomach pains. They found ...
A: This must be a really difficult time for all of your family. I think the important thing is to keep ...
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| How Long... | 12/25/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My mother in law had to have emergency surgery on Dec.10th to remove her lower intestines and have ...
A: So sorry to hear your mother in law is ill. It is troubling that she has not responded at all over ...
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| weaning off ventilator | 12/10/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My mom is in her 3 day of recovery in the ICU after having under gone surgery for acute ...
A: It's good that her white count is coming down. I am assuming it is returning to normal range. It is ...
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| life support | 12/4/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My dad is 80 years old. on Nov. 6th he was informed that he has prostate cancer. 2 weeks later, on ...
A: Virginia, I am so sorry for your loss. I hope there is some small comfort in knowing you honored his ...
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| life support | 11/30/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My dad is 80 years old. on Nov. 6th he was informed that he has prostate cancer. 2 weeks later, on ...
A: I think the most important thing is holding true to your father's wishes. If you are sure this is ...
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| Liver Enzymnes | 11/24/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: I am unaware of what possible implications can occur by taking zithrowmax in regards to it having an ...
A: I would recommend you discuss all this with your physician. Zithromax has been associated with liver ...
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| ICU/ Weaning off the respirator! | 11/21/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My mother had open heart surgery last wed. (one week from today) and she is having a hard time being ...
A: Those are numbers that reflect the amount help she is receiving from the ventilator. They do reflect ...
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| echocardiogram | 11/18/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: Is this the best equipment to monitor heart condition on regular basis in I.C. and could it be used ...
A: I am not sure I can entirely answer this question. I would say the best and most economical method ...
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| Dying in ICUs | 11/16/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: In California, where I live, there are two reasons to make a brain death declaration: to facilitate ...
A: I am so sorry about the loss of your husband. I am sure this has been a very difficult time for you. ...
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| Blood Pressure Crash | 11/11/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: Hillarie, Brain dead people, who have consented to organ donation,are ventilated and medicated and ...
A: You are right, it is possible to keep people's bodies alive for a time after the brain stops ...
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| Does it sound like TIA? | 11/10/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: HILLARIE, I wanted to ask your expert opinion regarding my sudden vision problem episode, which ...
A: It's true that cold water can cause coronary artery spasm which might cause further difficulty for ...
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| Does it sound like TIA? | 11/8/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: HILLARIE, I wanted to ask your expert opinion regarding my sudden vision problem episode, which ...
A: That is exactly my fear, that you are describing a TIA. As you may know, people who have coronary ...
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| pt/inr blood draw | 11/3/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: Any articles about drawing pt/inr from central line (infusa-port/PICC line) vs with butterfly from ...
A: I don't have any articles handy regarding the differences between the two, but off the top of my ...
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| Dad still on a vent in ICU | 10/17/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: The system wouldn't let me ask any more follow ups. I don't know what meds they might be putting in ...
A: It is true that fevers can cause this sort of response. I like the sound of the pulmonary physician ...
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| central lines | 10/17/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: Looking for information about LVN's and central lines. Unable to find much info. about this. Can an ...
A: It may differ state to state. I would look in your LVN practice act, which you could get from the ...
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| Can my dad make it out of ICU? | 10/17/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My father is 83 and is in ICU on a ventilator following gall bladder surgery. On 9/15 he was ...
A: You say he's off everything but the levo. The description you give sounds very much like someone who ...
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| Ventilators | 10/8/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My question is about how successfully do people get weaned off of the ventilator? My mother-in-law, ...
A: You are making the right decision. The fact is the physicians will tell you if she's out of options. ...
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| Can my dad make it out of ICU? | 10/8/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My father is 83 and is in ICU on a ventilator following gall bladder surgery. On 9/15 he was ...
A: The CPAP or BiPAP are options if he is really close to coming off the ventilator. Sometimes at that ...
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| Dad in ICU post gallbladder surgery | 10/5/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My 83 year old dad is hanging on for his life after gall bladder surgery. He had a badly infected ...
A: As you questioned in your last note, Propofol, a sedative, can decrease blood pressure as well as ...
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| Can my dad make it out of ICU? | 10/2/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My father is 83 and is in ICU on a ventilator following gall bladder surgery. On 9/15 he was ...
A: I was just reviewing this, and realized these are not quite the same questions as the question I ...
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| BOMB BLAST TRAUMA | 9/23/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: I wanted to know what bomb blast trauma is and how come a person who is involved in a bombing dies ...
A: I haven't actually had any experience with bomb blast injury, so I can't tell you the exact hue of ...
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| BOMB BLAST TRAUMA | 9/15/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: I wanted to know what bomb blast trauma is and how come a person who is involved in a bombing dies ...
A: I'm somewhat familiar with blast injury, but I wanted to be sure I got this right for you, so I did ...
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| Allergy to Blood Pressure Med in ICU Post Op | 9/8/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My father had surgery to bypass blockages in the main artery above his one good kidney as well ...
A: I should have thought to try a few different spellings. Mavik is a new antihypertensive. It works ...
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| My 75 year old father | 9/7/2007 | Hillarie Speziale |
Q: My father had gallbladder surgery two weeks ago on a Tuesday and they decided to remove the ...
A: It sounds as if your father developed a septicemia after surgery. I am assuming he was in good ...
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