through the wound. you don’t want to be on So the SSI s not Start off with broad them for longer than located in the wound spectrum and then necessary. itself (surface) but in specify once they’re the abdomen, where clearer what the bacteria A person’s risk of the surgery took is. contracting an infection place. increases with As a result of broad admission to hospital and Within hour she spectrum antibiotics (a for what duration. receives IV combination of antibiotics. antibiotics to kill lots of the effect’. ‘domino Decision to take her bacteria) is Clostridium back to theatre, Difficile. The alternative antibiotics wound, wash it used for resistant out, put in drain to This occurs naturally in organisms are more toxic. remove pus. the gut and when other bacteria are killed off by Was there a full antibiotic 3 days (day 17) the antibiotics, it allows review with a she fails to progress. the Cdiff to develop. microbiologist? She’s diagnosed with hospital acquired In mild forms, the best Was the PVC IV bag pneumonia. She’s treatment is to stop inserted, maintained and given oxygen and using antibiotics so that removed correctly? other antibiotics. the natural balance of bacteria in the gut can Was everything She ends up in ITU be restored. documented correctly? on a ventilator for 2 days. Why is the infection resistant? A few days later, Use of antibiotics if – when it looks as if you’re given the wrong she’s improving she antibiotic to start with then develops diarrhoeal you’re using it symptoms. She’s unnecessarily (it isn’t diagnosed quickly going to help you). with Cdiff and is placed in isolation lab. a further two weeks in hospital she goes home to recover. In total she was in hospital for 4 weeks. Discharged home What information might without antibiotics. the GP receive from the Home recovering for a hospital (and when)? further 6 weeks. GP’s priorities/concerns? What questions might Helen have asked her GP about what happened to her? How might the GP respond?
through the wound. So the SSI s not located in the wound itself (surface) but in the abdomen, where the surgery took place. Within hour she receives IV antibiotics. Decision to take her back to theatre, wound, wash it out, put in drain to remove pus. 3 days (day 17) she fails to progress. She’s diagnosed with hospital acquired pneumonia. She’s given oxygen and other antibiotics. She ends up in ITU on a ventilator for 2 days. A few days later, when it looks as if she’s improving she develops diarrhoeal symptoms. She’s diagnosed quickly with Cdiff and is placed in isolation lab. a further two weeks in hospital she goes home to recover. In total she was in hospital for 4 weeks. Start off with broad spectrum and then specify once they’re clearer what the bacteria is. As a result of broad spectrum antibiotics (a combination of antibiotics to kill lots of bacteria) is Clostridium Difficile. This occurs naturally in the gut and when other bacteria are killed off by the antibiotics, it allows the Cdiff to develop. In mild forms, the best treatment is to stop using antibiotics so that the natural balance of bacteria in the gut can be restored. you don’t want to be on them for longer than necessary. A person’s risk of contracting an infection increases with admission to hospital and for what duration. the ‘domino effect’. The alternative antibiotics used for resistant organisms are more toxic. Was there a full antibiotic review with a microbiologist? Was the PVC IV bag inserted, maintained and removed correctly? Was everything documented correctly? Why is the infection resistant? Use of antibiotics – if you’re given the wrong antibiotic to start with then you’re using it unnecessarily (it isn’t going to help you). Discharged home without antibiotics. Home recovering for a further 6 weeks. What information might the GP receive from the hospital (and when)? GP’s priorities/concerns? What questions might Helen have asked her GP about what happened to her? How might the GP respond?