A Rough Day

Emma has been having a rough go of it today.... She's having to work hard to breathe on her own and is all tuckered out. She was switched from a CPAP to a Bi-PAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) late last night. Bilevel means that the pressure varies during her breath cycles. When she inhales, the pressure is similar to CPAP. When she exhales, the pressure drops, making it easier for her to breathe. Unlike a CPAP device, a Bi-PAP can also provide her with an additional breath of air (currently set at 10 per minute), kind of like a "boost" to assist her in maintaining adequate oxygen.

Emma was struggling so much this morning the team thought one of her lungs may have collapsed. Thankfully, an x-ray showed that her lungs were (only) very wet, so she was given another dose of diuretic to help get rid of the extra fluid. She was still very listless when I was in to visit this afternoon, but her nurse said she was responding well to the medication. Based on the results of another blood gas to be taken late this afternoon, Emma may need to be re-intubated and put back on the ventilator. That is definitely not something we want to happen, so the team is doing everything they can to avoid it. For now, we just have to wait and see...