Help..I need someone who knows about green drainage from trachs

SUE — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 05:46:02 GMT

HELLO,I HAVE HAD A TRACHEOSTOMY FOR A YEAR NOW,I AM ALWAYS HAVING GREEN ,BLOODY DRAINAGE .MY PULMONARY DR,SAID ITS NORMAL,ALMOST ALL TRACH PATIENTS HAVE GREEN DRAINAGE.I WENT TO AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE DR,AND HE SAID I AM COLONIZED? .I HAVE BEEN ON MASSIVE ANTIBIOTICS THAT DIDNT WORK,I STILL HAVE A FEVER ,CHILLS ON AND OFF WEEKLY OR SOMETIMES DAILY.THE DRAINAGE SMELLS ALSO.I KNOW A RESPIRATORY THERAPIST AND SHE DOES TRACHS ALL THE TIME AND SHE SAYS THE GREEN DRAINAGE IS NOT NORMAL.WITH THE FACT OF THE SMELL ,COLOR ,FEVER ,CHILLS,ETC I TEND TO BELIEVE HER .MY DR. IS A GREAT PULMONOLOGIST AND HE SAID MY DIAGNOSIS IS MEMBRANOUS TRACHEOMALCIA.HE TRIED TO TAKE THE TRACH OUT AND THE WALLS OF THE TRACH CAVED IN MORE OR LESS.HE HAD A HARD TIME GETTING IT BACK IN.I WAS INTUBATED 3X IN THE HOSPITAL OF WHICH I STILL TURNED BLUE SO THEY DID THIS .I THINK THE INTUBATIONS GAVE ME THIS MALACIA.I NEVER ..EVER HAD IT BEFORE .I HAD 2 BRAIN ANEURYISMS SO THEY DID WHAT THEY DID TO SAVE MY LIFE .I ACCEPT THE FACT THAT I WILL ALWAYS HAVE THIS TRACH FOREVER BUT I AM HAVING A HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT ALL TRACH PATIENTS HAVE CONSISTENT GREEN DRAINAGE .IT WAS CULTURED MANY TIMES AND I HAVE HAD PSEUDOMAS FROM THE NURSING HOME AND COYNE BACTERIA ETC,BUT LIKE I SAID I HAVE TAKEN EVERY ANTIBIOTIC AVAILABLE .CAN SOMEONE HELP ME ? I AM GETTING DIFFERENT ANSWERS FROM EVERYONE AND I DONT KNOW WHICH ONE IS THE RIGHT ONE .THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANSWERING THIS PROBLEM .I APPRECIATE ANY HELP..SUE P.S.THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 1 YEAR NOW AND I DO NOT NEED TO BE SUCTIONED AT ALL.

RE: Help..I need someone who knows about green drainage from trachs

No-it-all — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:12:19 GMT

Wow! You certainly have had your share and then some. Certain infections have distinct odors. For example, I can walk in a room and immediatly tell if pseudomonas, c. diff toxin and others are present. Even though you have had antibiotics, they are so over prescribed that we have inadvertantly created bacteria that no longer respond to even the strongest antibiotics. Two of those are M.R.S.A. (methycillin resistant staph aureus) and V.R.E. (Vancomycin resistant enterococci). These are USUALLY nosocomial infections, that is to say they are picked up in the hospital from other patients. Based on your history, I would check with a physician who specializes in infectious disease. The color, odor and other symptoms cry out infection.

N.I.A.

RE: Help..I need someone who knows about green drainage from trachs

SUE — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:43:37 GMT

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REPLY.UNFORTUNATELY,I HAVE ALREADY BEEN TO 2 INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALISTS AND THATS WHO TOLD ME WHAT THE INFECTIONS WERE AND TRIED TO TREAT THEM.MRSA WAS ONE OF THEM PICKED UP IN THE HOSPITAL.I HAVE BEEN ON VANCOMYCIN TOO.THOSE TWO DRS.TOLD ME ,I AM I FORGOT THE WORD NOW ,WHERE YOU ARENT CONTAGIOUS TO ANYONE AND ITS JUST THERE ..MAYBE YOU KNOW THE WORD .MY MIND IS BLANK..WHERE I WILL POSSIBLY JUST HAVE IT FOREVER.I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY MY PULMONARY DR. SAID THIS IS VERY ,VERY COMMON IN PEOPLE THAT HAVE TRACHS. GREEN DRAINAGE AND IT DOESNT AFFECT THEM..AHHH ,I JUST THOUGHT OF IT ..COLONIZED ..THEY ALL SAID I AM COLONIZED ..THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR INPUT ..I WISH PEOPLE WHO HAVE TRACHS WOULD RESPOND ALSO.SUE