#respiratory failure

[poeticratfag]

Never forget when I almost died of respiratory failure, woke up from a month of sedation, and found solace exclusively in Sombr's Back To Friends for the next month.

[tearsofrefugees]

Toddler hospitalized with respiratory failure was returned to ICE detention and denied prescribed medication, lawsuit says

The 18-month-old was sent back to a South Texas facility after days in intensive care with severe respiratory distress, according to a feder

[theonlyladyt]

Sepsis Update /Sepsis Awareness

What is Sepsis?Sepsis is known as the “hidden killer” because it can be hard to detect.It is caused by the immune system going into overdrive. Instead of fighting an infection, it starts attacking other parts of the body too causing the infection to spread.Ultimately it causes sepsis shock organ failure and death if not treated in time. Even survivors can be left with long-term damage and…

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[macgyvermedical]

Heyy, I have two things for the same whumpee, a lung transplant wouldn't have any positive effect on an als patient on track for respiratory failure, right? The other is, if the whumpee winds up keeping his super shitty insurance plan, do doctors have any sort of wiggle room with helping that patient get equipment or medications that aren't otherwise covered by the insurance plan?

Sure!

For the first part- someone with ALS is losing the ability to breathe because the muscles that help them breathe are becoming paralyzed. The lungs themselves are fine, so you’re right- a lung transplant wouldn’t do anything for them.

For the second- for once, the insurance thing actually shouldn’t be an issue. In the US, there are several different ways to access health insurance. Even if your character had terrible health insurance (unlikely if it was through an employer in a post-ACA/Obamacare world, however, not all insurances cover durable medical equipment and depending on the “tier” of medication, these could also be expensive, more on that in a second), as soon as they qualified as disabled, they would be able to receive Medicare.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program that covers healthcare costs in those 65 and older or those receiving social security disability benefits. Usually, someone has to be on disability benefits for 24 months in order to start Medicare, but for ALS specifically, they receive Medicare benefits the same month they receive disability. Medicare Part A (hospital care) is free for most people who qualify, but almost everyone elects to get Part B coverage (outpatient care), and Part D (prescription drug coverage) as well, which have a monthly payment attached (though this is usually substantially less than you’d pay for commercial health insurance).

Medicare covers durable medical equipment- things like walkers, oxygen tanks, wheelchairs, etc… But does not cover disposable items like incontinence pads, diapers, compression stockings, or catheters (unless provided as part of a home-healthcare benefit- if your character has a nurse coming in, they’re included in the nurse’s fee). There is some wiggle room for these in that if the doctor prescribes these items, Medicare may pay for them. Also, if a doctor prescribes a medication they’d usually get over the counter, like ibuprofen, it will be covered under part D, where if they were to just buy it themselves, it wouldn’t.

What drugs are covered and how much the co-pay is really depends on which Part D plan they have, and there are a lot of them. If a drug is too expensive or not covered, however, the doc can switch the prescription to a generic or something that is covered, which can help save the patient money.

[caffeinewitchcraft]

Hiya! I was wondering if you could offer some advice. I'm currently doing some writing for a project my drama club is doing, and there is a scene in which four characters skip detention to do drugs, and one is supposed to overdose. Now, my question is this: how could only one character overdose on the same drugs that the other three are taking, and what drug(s) would be best suited to this situation? (Bear in mind that all four characters are high school seniors)

Hi! I’d love to offer some ideas, though I’d also like to offer a reference! The ScriptX family (X)  created by the wonderful @scriptmedic! She’s got a cool tag here (X) that deals with overdose!

BUT I love giving advice, especially on stuff I know a little about, so here it goes!

There are a couple ways that one character overdoses when the others don’t!

1) They’re smaller than the others. Doses are based on your size. Someone who’s six feet and two hundred pounds is going to need more to drink than someone who’s five feet and half that weight! So what might be an okay dose for one character might be waaay too much for another.

2) They have less of a tolerance than the others. You could play this as the character trying to “keep up” with the others who may have more experience with the drug than they do! It’d be veeeery sad which it sounds like you want!

3) Unregulated drugs/different batches. So, depending on what you end up having them take, the batches could be different and one could be more concentrated than the other! Or one of the batches could be cut with another drug that causes an adverse reaction. That’d be a little trickier to play, but you could definitely pull it off!

4) One character pre-gamed and didn’t stop. Drugs mess with your perception. If your characters are sitting around and taking things (especially if they’re mixing alcohol in it), then it’s possible one character just...takes too much. They forget and take another hit without thinking.

What can they (realistically) take?

Not to sound too jaded, but, given the right circumstances, anything is accessible. It’s just really a matter of location, in my experience. 

I’d probably go with opioids (meth/heroin). An opioid overdose is pretty classic to movies and tv shows where the character “nods off” or can even start seizing. You get the panic of respiratory failure too, which is just awful.

The trick will be deciding if they’re long-time users or opportunistic kids who’ve recently turned to something harder. They’re going to have obvious signs of addiction in the former and a higher chance of overdosing in the latter.

--------------------------------------

Hope that helps! I really recommend checking out the blogs I linked! They’re super helpful :)

[medicaletymologies]

From Ancient Greek χοάνη (funnel), α- (negative prefix) and τρῆσις (hole, orifice, perforation)

[guidebydoctor]

ECMO for Respiratory Failure: Supporting the Lungs When They Can't Keep Up

Severe respiratory failure — from conditions like severe pneumonia, ARDS, or complications from infections — can reach a point where a ventilator alone isn't enough to keep oxygen levels stable. That's where veno-venous (VV) ECMO comes in, taking over the lungs' oxygenating function externally, giving the lungs time to rest and heal without the added strain of continuing to work.

Apex Hospitals in Jaipur offers this through its ECMO program, which distinguishes between VV ECMO for respiratory support and VA ECMO for cardiac support, since the two address different failing systems and require different configurations. For patients in respiratory failure whose heart function is still stable, VV ECMO allows doctors to focus entirely on treating the underlying lung condition without the patient's oxygen levels working against them.

This kind of support is especially critical in cases where infections or inflammation have severely damaged lung tissue, since recovery can take days to weeks — far longer than a ventilator alone could safely sustain a patient. Coordination with the hospital's ICU and critical care team is constant throughout, since ECMO patients need continuous monitoring for complications like bleeding, clotting, or infection at the cannulation site.

What often gets overlooked is that ECMO isn't a treatment in itself — it's support that buys time for the actual treatment, whether that's antibiotics, antivirals, or simply letting damaged lung tissue heal. Families should understand it as a bridge, not a cure, and ask their care team clearly what the plan is for the underlying condition while ECMO is in use.

[madhavprathim]

Best critical care hospital in Hyderabad | Prathima Hospitals

Prathima Hospitals offers advanced intensive care services, backed by modern infrastructure and experienced medical professionals dedicated to managing critically ill patients. The hospital is equipped with well-established intensive care units that feature ventilator support, hemodynamic monitoring, and point-of-care diagnostic systems, ensuring continuous observation and timely intervention. A skilled team of intensivists, doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff delivers round-the-clock care for emergencies, including cardiac conditions, respiratory failure, trauma, and multi-organ complications. The facility follows a multidisciplinary approach where specialists collaborate to provide comprehensive treatment and improve patient outcomes. Emergency and trauma care services are supported by advanced equipment and rapid response systems that help stabilize patients effectively. With continuous monitoring, life-support technology, and patient-focused care, many individuals trust this facility when searching for the Best critical care hospital in Hyderabad for reliable and high-quality intensive care services.