dimentia and low oxygen

[amburden]

My dad is 83. He has been in the hospital 4 times in the last month and a half. He has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and low oxygen levels. Three weeks ago, his stomach, testicles, and legs began filling with fluid which caused tremendouls swelling in all three areas but at least he was lucid. The VA admitted him to the local hospital and they sent him home after two days. The swelling got worse so this last time when we took him to the VA hospital in another city for his routine oxygen check we also took him to ER so they could check why he was swelling so much. He was immediately admitted and now is very confused. No one at the hospital seems to be able to tell us what is going on. Dad recognizes me every day when I go visit, but has no idea he is at the hospital or why. He says he can't walk and has become incontinent. Yesterday he said he couldn't eat all day because everyone is trying to poison his food. Could all of this be related to the dimentia he seems to be having? Is there anything that can be done?


This discussion is related to low oxygen level/dementia.

[spoilher101]

Put me on anti-spicotic drugs, n i have same heart condition. Blood pressure dropped to 70 over 60. Got really ill, told me to keep up with medicine! By now i was suffering from distonia, glacoma/cateracts, n an enlarged prostate! Looked at there report, & they said i was fine to make my own decisions. Then it said, DO NOT RESESITATE! I got the h--l out of that hospital, but now i think i have dimentia, besides all the swelling in my ankles, & numness, all on my right side. I could sleep for hours, n days, but after 8 hours of sleep have to force myself to get up, so i can move around, so my body doesnt lock up with pain. BAD PAIN!

[Jenn12546]

As a former nurse, I found that when treating the elderly, they would easily become confused after a period of time in the hospital, especially if they were in the ICU where there is plenty of noise and lack of sleep. This is hard on a young person, the elderly seem to be more sensitive to this...at least that is what I have observed. Your father has been in the hospital for quite some time, he probably isn't sleeping well (hospitals aren't conducive to good sleep patterns as the patients are woken up at all hours) and his health is brittle as well. All of this could easily be contributing to his dementia. The term that is used amongst ICU patients exhibiting symptoms that you describe is ICU psychosis. There are medications that can help with this, you should talk to the doctor and relay your concerns to him or her.
Jenn