General Medical issues thread

[love_the_life]

It is quite stark reading when a certain drug can only be given on how well or how badly you are doing.

Yes WMW, it's awful to be in the system and know that you are expected to stick to the 'protocol' (speaking of your father).
Hope you are able to find the best treatment for him.

 

[whatmeworry]

Victorian ambulances struggling with all the flu cases in this record year for influenza in Australia.

This week saw the season peak, with almost 30,000 confirmed cases in the past nine days. With a month of the season left, Australia is only 110 confirmed influenza infections away from smashing the record for the largest number of cases in a year.
The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services says it has been notified of 177 flu outbreaks in child-care centres, hospitals and aged-care homes this year, up from 77 for the same period last year.
As of Friday, there had been 100,480 confirmed cases of influenza in Australia this year, according to data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. That is up from 71,256 in little more than a week.

Ramping has returned to Victorian hospitals as ambulances queue outside emergency rooms while sick Victorians wait significantly longer for help due to a record-breaking flu season.
"Everyone is at maximum capacity," Ambulance Victoria's executive director of emergency operations Mick Stephenson said. "We have noticed an increase of up to 30 per cent in the amount of time we lose waiting in a queue."

Ambulances queue outside Victorian hospitals as flu runs rampant

 

[k_sheep]

With the keytruda discussion - there's actually a validated, affordable test that can be performed on tissue biopsies now, to see if the tumour has the mutation in the PDL1 gene (which is targeted with pembrolizumab and nivolumab amongst others). Previously it was sort of research only, and tested using molecular methods which were very difficult to interpret and expensive. This will hopefully go a long way to seeing which patients are likely to benefit most from these tremendously expensive drugs, rather than just "giving it a go". I'll be very excited to see the data as it emerges over the next few years.

Hopefully we see great success stories like RKs

 

[JohnK]

Sometimes we just take things for granted.

Headache, loss of appetite, fever, whole body aches, hot flushes and feeling cold. The flu season has had another victim. My wife's first flu. She's not well. Moved flights back to Brisbane until tomorrow. See how we go.

Could be a long week. Hoping for a speedy recovery.

 

[love_the_life]

Sometimes we just take things for granted.

Headache, loss of appetite, fever, whole body aches, hot flushes and feeling cold. The flu season has had another victim. My wife's first flu. She's not well. Moved flights back to Brisbane until tomorrow. See how we go.

Could be a long week. Hoping for a speedy recovery.

Hope she is feeling better soon. Lots of TLC needed.

 

[JohnK]

Hope she is feeling better soon. Lots of TLC needed.

Thanks. She stayed in Sydney with daughter. She's not well. Hopefully daughter doesn't get sick. I seem to have dodged the bullet or I've had this particular strain before.

 

[love_the_life]

Thanks. She stayed in Sydney with daughter. She's not well. Hopefully daughter doesn't get sick. I seem to have dodged the bullet or I've had this particular strain before.

Don't speak to soon...that's playing dangerous and tempting fate.

 

[JohnK]

Don't speak to soon...that's playing dangerous and tempting fate.

Fate cannot be changed.... Fate is sealed....

 

[rogerkambah]

Thanks. She stayed in Sydney with daughter. She's not well. Hopefully daughter doesn't get sick. I seem to have dodged the bullet or I've had this particular strain before.

Just hope (or maybe pray) that your mum and dad don't catch it - could be particularly onerous and maybe dangerous for them.

 

[JohnK]

Just hope (or maybe pray) that your mum and dad don't catch it - could be particularly onerous and maybe dangerous for them.

The saving grace for us is that we have been having the flu shots for a long time. Even still mum and dad get sick quite often through the year so I suspect they have already had this particular strain.

I did not even think about flu shots for my wife in her first year in Australia. Won't make same mistake next year.

 

[Pushka]

The saving grace for us is that we have been having the flu shots for a long time. Even still mum and dad get sick quite often through the year so I suspect they have already had this particular strain.

I did not even think about flu shots for my wife in her first year in Australia. Won't make same mistake next year.

Indeed. She is more at risk than any of you.

 

[JohnK]

Wife not well. Parents took wife to our GP and she said wife has temperature of 40 degrees and needs to go to hospital now.

Not sure what's wrong. I'm in Brisbane.

 

[Pushka]

Wife not well. Parents took wife to our GP and she said wife has temperature of 40 degrees and needs to go to hospital now.

Not sure what's wrong. I'm in Brisbane.

That's worrying. Best wishes. Your parents will take good care of her. Maybe she's dehydrated which can send the temp up while fighting an infection.

 

[love_the_life]

Wife not well. Parents took wife to our GP and she said wife has temperature of 40 degrees and needs to go to hospital now.
Not sure what's wrong. I'm in Brisbane.

Could be a number of things so hospital sounds the best place for them to assess her. If there is anything bacterial they will be able to hit it with antibiotics or if dehydration can use a drip with electrolytes. It is a worry with you being in Brisbane but I am sure your parents will take good care of both her and little one.

 

[JohnK]

That's worrying. Best wishes. Your parents will take good care of her. Maybe she's dehydrated which can send the temp up while fighting an infection.

All of the above. She's not eating/drinking much because she feels nauseous. Maxolon helps a little but doesn't get rid of the smell of food.

Hope it's not worse. Not hoping too much on luck.

 

[love_the_life]

All of the above. She's not eating/drinking much because she feels nauseous. Maxolon helps a little but doesn't get rid of the smell of food.

Hope it's not worse. Not hoping too much on luck.

Doesn't sound like the run of the mill flu to me - though it's been a number of years since I had a bout.
Did she go to hospital?

 

[JohnK]

Doesn't sound like the run of the mill flu to me - though it's been a number of years since I had a bout.
Did she go to hospital?

It's not good at all. In fact infection is classed as serious. Went to hospital but checked herself out after 4 satchels of drips, 2 strong doses of antibiotics + script of ciprofloxacin. Enlarged liver and worried about kidneys as well.

Not sure how this is possible but this is not a good time after what she went through with the birth.

 

[love_the_life]

I would imagine she is quite stressed by the thought of hospital again. Hope the infection is brought under control quickly. She should follow up with GP visit.

 

[JohnK]

Wife's not well. Shivering. Dizzy. Nauseous. Stomach pain.

Not sure if and when the antibiotics will take effect. There's probably some organ damage. We have to do ultrasound today but she has no energy. She's not eating but drinking some water.

She was fine 2 days ago. She was up and about. This is very scary. Think we go back to hospital.

 

[love_the_life]

If she was given heavy duty antibiotics in hospital, there should be some improvement already I would think. I would agree she needs to either go to hospital or doctor again. Hope you can get to the bottom of it as it sounds more than a dose of the flu. Good luck.