Zach Update 12-1-2008

Well it seems Zach having a rough patch today. He's extubated for a 3rd time. I could tell something seemed up with his tube yesterday when we were there. They had to keep going up on his vent setting from the low where he was at yesterday to 45 today. That was the first sign that something wasn't right with the tube. The xrays showed it'd almost come out so right before they were about to fix it he pulled it out. So he's at 45 breaths/m with 36% oxygen atm. So he's kinda had a big setback with the ventilator one day from being taken off it. So hopefully in a week or so he'll be ready to start transitioning back to cpap again. His blood gasses after the re-intubation are much better so he's improving now the tube is back in place.

They found some fluid in his lungs probably from the PDA so they're starting him on diruetics instead of the other medicine he was on to try and close the PDA and remove the fluid from teh lungs. This is a common treatment for PDA they'll try many different things unless it becomes apparent he needs surgical intervention. Most babies don't though or not until they're 1 yr old.

He's getting more blood today. That's normal due to the amount they take for blood tests and his bones just can't make enough to replenish. He usually looks much better after they give him blood on Mondays.

He's back to having IVs in (both feet this time) for the new medicines and preventative antibiotics. They don't want the fluid in his lungs to be from an infection or get infected. If there's no infection they'll take him off the antibiotics in 2 days. Just like last week.

His weigh in today was 2lbs 10 ounces and 41 cm long. So he's gaining/growing well. He's still at 20 ml eight times a day.

The nurse said he looks good now that they're done messing with him and his vent situation is fixed. I do hope he can get on CPAP before it comes out next time. He keeps picking up his head and bending his tube completely over or pulling on it. No kidding one day we're sitting there and he just picks up his head and turns it over completely on the tube. Needless to say the vent machine starting freaking out. I can only imagine what he does when they're not looking. The nurses can't sit there and watch him 24/7.

Anyhew hopefully he does well throughout the night and tomorrow goes better.

S