My other half completed radiation to the right lung and the mediastinal lymph nodes Jan 2013. He had had 33 fractions a total of 66gy.
1st line chemo cisplatin & etoposide completed concurrent(4 cycles) hospitalised 3 days each cycle. (Jan 2013)
2nd line carboplatin& gemcitabine completed 13/02/14 (4 cycles)
Received 2 separate prbc transfusions due to low Hb, 5 ( received 2 units), 20/02/2014 a single unitnHb 4.9
Received 4 epo injections at 20 day intervals starting 30/12/2013
Since last November he is existing solely on nutridrinks compact 125 ml 300 cals, but weight has been stable.
Meds, lisinopril, sinfastine, metformin, acenocoumarol, nifedipine & bisoprololfumaraat
Hello, 3 days into our holiday Klaas presented with a temp of 38 which rose to 39.3, he was coughing and obviously unwell. We went to a local doctor who refered us to the hospital, this was last Saturday. They said he has a lung infection left side. He is currently on a mixture of the following antibiotics imipenem cilastatin, vancomycin and levofloxacin. Those might be the spanish names for them. He is still getting high temperatures so yesterday the Dr here added the other antibiotics to the original two. He is also on a nebuliser and having oxygen. It seems to be a bit of a roller coaster ride, one day feeling much better, up and out of bed, having a shower etc, almost normal and the next day feeling debilitated tired and no energy.
Today will be day 7. Does the cancer stop the antibiotics from being so effective. If he is not responding to these antibiotics, are there other options, would it be wise to medivac him back to NL where he has been being treated. I am worried, does the cancer int reference with the antibiotics, is there anything else that could be used if the bacteria does not respond. Any advice would be most welcome I am really worried. Thanks
Reply # - April 3, 2014, 10:44 PM
Reply To: Squamous in Tenerife hospitalised with a lung
I'm sorry he is having such a difficult time. There is no reason that the cancer would cause the antibiotics themselves to be ineffective, but if the lung is "trapped" because the cancer is blocking the airway, it may be very hard to treat an infection effectively without doing something to remove the obstruction and getting the lung aerated again. Radiation to shrink an obstructing cancer, or perhaps a "stent" to open up the airway compressed by a cancer, which can potentially be placed by a pulmonologist, may make it easier for antibiotics to become effective.
These treatments are available in many countries, so I would not presume that there is a clear value to moving him around Europe if the same approaches are possible from one place to another.
Good luck.
-Dr. West