posted
My husband's PICC line was filled with blood this morning and when he tried to flush it, it just wouldn't go. He did try somewhat repeatedly, but then we called the doctor, who told him to go to the ER.
At the ER, the staff also called the doctor who indicated that they could either flush the line or pull it.
They called in a PICC "specialist" who was diligently working on flushing the line. After about 1/2 hour of this, my husband asks the nurse if discomfort in his chest was normal?
It appears he had been having a dull aching pain in the right side of his chest ever since the morning try at clearing the line. He didn't think much of it, because with his lyme, he has had chest pain before.
Well, the ER staff did not take it so lightly ordering lots of tests. We were assured that it was probably nothing however. (His pain level on a scale of 1-10 was only about a 3 and not constant)
They were surprised and alarmed to find a blood clot in his lung. A pulmonary embolism is a very dangerous thing. If he had failed to mention the chest pain, they would have possibly cleared the PICC line and sent him home. This could have proven fatal.
As it is (thank God!) he has been admitted to the hospital and getting heparin through IV. He will be there up to six days and then he will be taking cumadin (sp?) for six months.
Many of you may already know the dangers and precautions to take with a PICC line. We did not so I wanted to let you know.
I also needed to just let you all know, because you are our lyme family and I know you care.
In another post, I could tell you all the ignorant comments from the ER doctors about LD! Ugh!
Posts: 160 | From Abington, PA, USA | Registered: May 2005
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Michelle M
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7200
posted
Omigosh, Danser. What a close call.
(Wipes sweat from brow.)
Thanks for the heads-up to all. Will think good thoughts for your hubby during his enforced duck motel stay.
Michelle
Posts: 3193 | From Northern California | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
LOL about the "duck motel" . . . I'm sure the parade of ducks will be through his room today. Unfortunately, I need to take my daughter to another hospital for a cleft team evaluation which takes most of the day.
Hopefully my dh's lyme brain will function well enough, he can fend off the quakery!
Posts: 160 | From Abington, PA, USA | Registered: May 2005
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lymemomtooo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5396
posted
Danser, Yes, we know very well about this complication..So sorry your husband is having such trouble. My daughter also had a problem with air embolisms also..The line was not clamped off one day..
Noticed you were from Abington..Spent a couple of weeks in the area when my daughter was a patient getting ect's. I found it to be a very nice place.
Posts: 2360 | From SE PA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Well, we are happy with the nursing staff. The ducks are annoying though.
They sent in the ID duck and he told my husband that there are no studies showing long-term antibiotic treatment to be helpful and that lyme is cured without 2 months of treatment so he must have some other disease.
He also indicated that the antibiotic treatment had serious side effects - picking on of all things, the minor staph infection on my dh's arm near the PICC line.
My husband didn't respond, but he feels the duck got the message that my dh didn't really need his advice.
I will be with my dh tomorrow for most of the day. I am hoping he comes back . . . I won't be so quiet.
The doctors are also saying that they checked (ultrasound or something) the arm and didn't see evidence of any blood clots so they are not certain that the blood clot came from the PICC line. (I am certain it did seeing as the chest pain started shortly after my dh tried to flush the line)
Posts: 160 | From Abington, PA, USA | Registered: May 2005
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If your husband needs IV meds, you can easily keep the line clear and avoid another embolis by having him flush his line with 1 cc of heparin daily, and that does the trick. When I had a picc line, one night it all of the sudden I couldn't push anything through it. Now first of all, you NEVER, EVER try to force any IV liquid through if it won't budge, specifically for the embolis reason. I went in to the infusion center where I got dressing changes the next day and they found the clot. Second of all, Groshong PICC lines have faults too. The valve at the tip is faulty, so saline alone is not sufficient. Have your husbands LLMD write a script for some heparin and have him/her send it to the facility where you get your meds from.
Take Care and Good Luck, K-lyme
Posts: 227 | From CA | Registered: Apr 2004
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Talk to your LLMD -- see if hubby can't be put on heparin instead of the coumadin. A safer drug and it may be of benefit for tickborne diseases -- especially babesia. Has your hubby been tested for hypercoagulation? -- this might be a good idea as well.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
I was wondering about the hypercoagulation possibility. My husband WAS flushing with a heparin flush every 12 hours and this still happened.
When he went to the ER, the PICC "specialist" also tried to force the flush!
I will talk to the hospital doctor tomorrow about the possibility of heparin instead of the coumadin. How would that be administered? The doctor seemed to have some concerns with taking coumadin "if we chose to continue our antibiotic route."
I assured him that we would be continuing on antibiotics but wasn't sure whether it'd be intravenous or oral.
Since the PICC line is still in my husband's arm - not flushed since Tuesday night, don't you all think that it HAS to be pulled now? The hospital staff still sees this as up in the air.
Since my husband is starting with a brand new LLMD on Monday - we aren't even sure he'd be continuing the PICC anyway.
Posts: 160 | From Abington, PA, USA | Registered: May 2005
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