Recently identified was a mass in my mother's lower lung. Dr.'s believe it to be a hemotoma- bleed. They tested for infection and found MRSA in ears nose and throat, and E-coli in lower respirator tract. Fluid was removed around lung with chest tube, but there was no infection within the fluid. Dr's have her on Vancomyacin,cleomyacin,aztreonam (spelling of drugs may be poor)
Dr's say that the bleed should resolve itself similiar to a bruise. My mom has been on a vent since 7/24. Right now she tolerates CPAP for 6 to 8 hours with 12 pressure. I also got the indicator that this bleed bruise developed over the past few weeks while at the SNF. She has been prone to clots so they now have her on cumadin.
Originally at the first hospital stay she was on heparin and then removed from the drug after a screen was placed to avoid blood clots from traveling to lung. The hospital also indicated to me that bleeding was occuring in her lungs, so they removed her from the heparin. After transfering to a SNF they put her back on heparin to avoid clots, this is the time frame that she developed the bleed in the lung the size of a fist. Once the SNF determined this, they sent her back to the hospital, for treatment as described above.
My mother has smoked for many years, not very many cigarettes, bur for a long time, she is now 66 years old.
Does anyone have any experience with how long it takes someone with such a condition to get better--off vent. Does this hematoma as the Dr describes inhibit her from breathing well?