confused !

[skye liela's mummy]

hi all,im a little confused ! and that doesnt take much !
every since skye was poorly at chritmas we keep having random days with her being off.
she started with green secrections docs said it was viral she cleared it within 2 weeks then for a week she was great then suddendly one morning about 2 wks ago she had increase secretions that were green by the next day she was fine.yesterday we changed her trach and i noticed there was an increse of secretions there after,i didnt take too much notice as sometimes she has been like this after a change.but today its been none stop suctioning and there slightly tinted not green but creamy,tonight has been so bad that twice she coughed up that much it compltley blocked the filter on the hvm and filled the plastic bit,she obiously got upset because she couldnt breath.
she not got a temp but off her feeds just slightly.
why would she keep being ok for a week or so than keep getting like this ??
any ideas ?? x

[Gretchen(Celia's mom)]

Sorry she has been having a rough time! Some random thoughts: Psuedomonas
Dehaydration
How often do you change trachs? Are you cleaning and re using? Does it seem to be when one of the trachs is in more than the other?

[lynn]

Joseph had a lot of creamy colored secreations when he was overgrown with pseudomonas... can you get a sample tested?

Joseph had an infection from Sept thru Dec that was never clearly diagnosed until his former NICU pulmonologist read the culture results and saw he had more than just his normal colonization... we had many good days mixed in with the bad it was just a strange cycle that wasnt broken until he was on a full two week course of Tobi nebs and oral augmentin.

[MomofTwoBoys]

I agree with the other ladies, it sounds like psuedomonis to me. I would have the secretions cultured... Hope she feels better

[skye liela's mummy]

thanks guys, what is this psuedomonis ?

[bryantem]

Psuedomonis is a bacteria that most kids with trachs are colonized with. Addy came back with it once on a culture, but her culprit is usually staph.

Addy almost always has white, creamy secretions. They are only clear all the way through if she has a cold or is just watery. Yesterday her secretions were green in the morning, but they turned to white very fast.

[skye liela's mummy]

thank you !
her secretions have turned yellow today ! bit quite in her self but other than that seems ok x

[Niff]

Pseudo is a really nasty bacteria that almost every trached person gets, especially those on vents. It's a bacteria that grows in moist environments (a "water bug") and is often described as a hospital acquired infection (because so many vent patients get it). Untreated it can be a DISASTER. There are only 2 antibiotics that can be given at home for it : tobi and bactrim. Tobi is inhaled, bactrim is oral. For us, it is the absolute worst trach infection Mackenzie has gotten. The first time she was on 3 IV antibiotics and her vent settings went WAY up, the second she was on 2 IV antibiotics and again her vent settings went up. She's had it twice since then, both times we've been able to treat at home with a little oxygen and antibiotics.

When Mac has it, I throw everything respiratory out. New vent circuit, new tubing, etc and start fresh because chances are it's growing in the tubing too.

I would definitely get that stuff cultured and ask for bactrim while you're waiting on the results.

[jamie]

when evan had it they gave him cipro i was really scared about the side effects of that antibiotic, including tendenitid and evan alreay has rhemutiod Arthritis. what is bactrim? is it a cream or oral antibiotic? he has had psdonomis twice and it is a big fear of mine

[lynn]

We were given oral Cipro and also oral Augmentin... Joseph takes bactrim as a prophylaxis drug for his kidney reflux (since age 1 mon)so the feeling is he is already immune to using it as a med to treat any infection.

Bactrim is a wide spectrum antibiotic, it is oral.