Infection

hey guys

I’m 20 years old and had a pacemaker implanted on 06/02/2018 and everything was perfect. About 4 weeks I started to get pain in my arm but I assumed I’d pulled something because the muscles weren’t used to being used anymore. Couple of days later my scar turned an angry red. Still didn’t think anything. Couple of days after that has some green liquid coming out of my incision site. Long story short I was in hospital for 11 days with antibiotics then sent home with a picc line and a visiting nurse for 6 days with the same antibiotics. I am on the last day of tablet antibiotics that I was prescribed for a week after the picc line was removed but I now have green liquid coming through the incision site again. 

I just want to know if anyone else has had a situation like this ? Not sure if I should be concerned that this is still happening after 23 days of antibiotics?

4 Comments

Should not be happening , get medical advice a.s.a.p.!!

by IAN MC - 2018-04-08 06:54:39

Hi Sabrina

You have been taking  antibiotics for 23 days now and are still showing signs of infection.  This should not happen.

The bacteria causing the infection  have either developed resistance to the antibiotic or it was the wrong antibiotic in the first place. I strongly recommend that you see a Dr as soon as possible to get a change of antibiotic.  Going  to your local hospital may be the quickest way for you to get medical advice.

Best of luck 

Ian

 

go back ASAP!

by Tracey_E - 2018-04-08 09:39:34

Yes, you need to be concerned. Green, swelling, fever, all those are signs of infection and should always been treated immediately and aggressively.  If possible, ask to see an infectious disease specialist in addition to cardiologist, someone who specializes in infection. They'll do cultures to make sure the meds you are on are treating the stain of infection you have. If they don't get the infection under control, it can go down the leads and get into the heart. Sometimes they have to take the pacer and leads out, clear the infection, then put it back on the other side. Not trying to scare you, just emphasizing that this is very very serious and there is a lot at stake if it's not treated quickly.  

Infection.

by The real Patch - 2018-04-08 13:23:59

It sounds like they took you off of antibiogics too soon and/or were giving you the wrong ones. Did they tell you what strain it was? Before taking you off they should have done another culture yo ensure it was cleared up.

TraceyE is right and were I you, I'd insist they take lesds and device out and clear things up before reimplant. I spent 6 months with daily hospital visits to get mine cleared. Good luck

Thank you

by Sabrina - 2018-04-09 09:37:40

Thank you all for your advice it has really helped know what to ask and expect

I went to the doctors straight after posting and he sent me straight to the hospital. The hospital has don’t a blood culture but it has come back clear. The infection is localised to the incision site and has not moved to the blood stream or pacemaker/leads but they are concerned that it is still there and the colour seems to have them very worried. They took a sample of the discharge and are growin it to determine what medication will work best but I have been told, if it doesn’t clear and moves down to the pacemaker it will need to be removed. Hopefully the next round of antibiotics work better

thank you all again for your advice. Even the scary info seems to settled to settle my stomach. 

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