cpap & hospitals

[Ms Piggy]

Since being diagnosed with SA I have been admitted to hospital 3 times for surgery. I have taken my equipment with me and mentioned it and my condition to all staff. My equipment has accompanied me everywhere, sometimes precariously balanced on the end of a gurney, but never once used. It should be put on when the intubation tube is removed but there it is perched at the bottom of the bed in recovery. One of the nurses once suggested that I leave it in the car and go out for it if needed, hello ...
They just do not seem to take istseriously.

Has anyone ever had their equipment applied by the hospital staff??

.

[5aces]

The Operating Surgeon wrote in his orders to the Acute Surgical Unit that I had Severe OSA and would have a CPAP machine.

The CPAP machine was waiting for me in the ASU room.

I put it on myself after I had transferred to the ASU from anaesthesia recovery.

[6PtStar]

Yes, when I had a heart attack and open heart surgery the hospital doctor (cogent Doc) sent my wife home to get it and put it on me as soon as the tube was removed. My wife did have a run in with one nurse who told her she was obsessed with the cpap. Wife complained to the floor supervisor and the nurse got repremanded for the statement. The only stipulation was I could not wear a Full Face Mask even though I did leak at the mouth at times. I got the impression that a lot of nurses don't understand how important it is to us.

Jerry

[Catnapper]

About 18 months ago I had surgery, and beforehand told everyone I could about the bi-pap. When I woke up in the recovery room I asked for my machine. The nurse told me they had to wait for the RT to come to do it. I was kept in the recovery room for 4 hours waiting for a bed to become available! The RT showed up after I had been awake for 2 hours. She took one look at my mask (I took a Swift to the hospital) and said, "You put it on, I have never seen one of those." Of course, the machine starts automatically, so overall, she was a big help. I expected more.

[gasparama]

When I had surgery last summer, I was told to bring the machine. I was not allowed to use it in recovery. At this hospital, I didn't awaken until I got up to my room. and the RT's or nurses or whoever, just stood there like idiots telling me to put it on. I was extremely groggy and falling in and out of sleep. It took quite a while to cut my tape, apply it to my mouth, put water in the tank and so forth. Then because of the constant botherings made by the staff, it was never left on me for more than a few minutes at at time.

Last February, I just told the pre-admission personnel that the CPAP would be left at home due to the ineptness of the hospital staff. The lady said that would be OK. But on the day of the surgery, the anesthesiologist told my husband to go home and get. I snickered and laughed. And once again, no one knew how to help me with it. And once again, no one would allow me to sleep, so it was useless. Good reason to stay out of hospitals.

Be prepared. Have someone with you who can set up your machine and help you get your mask on.

[Severeena]

I have now been home for a week and one day from OHS(Open Heart Surgery).

The first hospital messed up my machine becase they did not know what they were doing.

I was placed on bipap at the rehab center I was sent to after the tracheotomy whole closed up.

I asked them about my machine and they I had to use theirs, but I could use my tubing, mask and head gear.

Everyone in Repsiratory Therapy department was told to come and look at my mask and head gear. I explained about the HR and how it could be sterilized in an Autoclave or if used at home washed in the dishwasher. They were all impressed. But I still could not use my machine.

I use it now and no more weird sounds or shutting down. I double checked everything and made sure everything was in the off postion.

[gasparama]

Sharon, I'm glad you're home.

I was thinking about all the people who took care of me in the hospital. They did a fine job. But I think as a whole, the staff was sorely undereducated about CPAP therapy. There needs to be some massive training program.

[Elbysmom2004]

This is encouraging as I am due to have gastric bypass probably in September. I go on the 28th for my psych eval.

[plr66]

Yike, Elbysmom. What is encouraging here to you? This is all pretty distressing news to me, and I just don't get it. I've only had one surgery in my life--nearly 15 years ago--and it was in the recovery room that I spent 5 hours mostly not breathing and having nurses shouting at me to "BREATHE!!!" while I remember wishing they would just go away and let me enjoy not breathing. I have ever since thought that was a pretty scary situation....and thought when I was diagnosed with OSA last August, that maybe I would never have to repeat that possibly dangerous experience if I was ever hospitalized again and had my cpap with me. Wrong, eh? This just seems nuts to me that cpap is ignored in hospital stays.

[gasparama]

Yike, Elbysmom. What is encouraging here to you? This is all pretty distressing news to me, and I just don't get it. I've only had one surgery in my life--nearly 15 years ago--and it was in the recovery room that I spent 5 hours mostly not breathing and having nurses shouting at me to "BREATHE!!!" while I remember wishing they would just go away and let me enjoy not breathing. I have ever since thought that was a pretty scary situation....and thought when I was diagnosed with OSA last August, that maybe I would never have to repeat that possibly dangerous experience if I was ever hospitalized again and had my cpap with me. Wrong, eh? This just seems nuts to me that cpap is ignored in hospital stays.

You're so right: it IS nuts! Why insist that I bring the machine that is never, never used in the recovery? When I had total knee last June, they got scared when there were occurrences of heart arrhythmia in recovery. Yet they had my machine in the room with them. It's frightening.

[Ruby Vee]

Yes, when I had a heart attack and open heart surgery the hospital doctor (cogent Doc) sent my wife home to get it and put it on me as soon as the tube was removed. My wife did have a run in with one nurse who told her she was obsessed with the cpap. Wife complained to the floor supervisor and the nurse got repremanded for the statement. The only stipulation was I could not wear a Full Face Mask even though I did leak at the mouth at times. I got the impression that a lot of nurses don't understand how important it is to us.

Jerry

A lot of nurses (and doctors and respiratory therapists) DON'T understand. I'm a nurse; I didn't understand until I had my very own CPAP. Now that I'm tuned in to just how important it is, I try to advocate for our community, but a lot of health care personnel just don't get it.

[Catnapper]

I responded earlier, but now I have an update.

I am going to have surgery this week and just had my pre-op testing done. The nurse who was taking my medical history told me to bring my machine on the day of surgery. She mentioned that she and her husband both have cpap. I told her my story about being in recovery but not being allowed to use my machine and mask until the RT came to set it up for me. She said that so long as they had me on oxygen I wouldn't need it. When I replied that if the oxygen couldn't get to my lungs it wouldn't help me, she looked at me like I was insane. She must not have understood the concept that you quit breathing with sleep apnea and with a closed throat the air and oxygen just don't make it to the lungs. It seems pretty basic to me, but she is a nurse, so what do I know? I am not a medical professional in any way.

I also talked to her about checking the data but she said that is too much trouble. She did know that she has an auto machine and that it is set on auto. We have the same sleep doctor and he showed her how to check her data on the screen of her M series auto. He is a great doc, by the way.

[ozij]

She must not have understood the concept that you quit breathing with sleep apnea and with a closed throat the air and oxygen just don't make it to the lungs. It seems pretty basic to me, but she is a nurse, so what do I know? I am not a medical professional in any way.

Happy birthday, Joanie, and good luck with your surgery!
My brother, who is a cardiac surgeon explained this to me recently: When you're on 100% oxygen, the hemogolobin in your blood is saturated far above the usual, and can carry enough oxygen to your brain, even if you're not breathing so well. He added that there are times during cardiac surgery that they have to disonnect people from the heart/lungs machine for as long as minute - but because their blood is properly saturated, there's no problem with that. I had never thought of it like that - but it makes a lot of sense. 100% oxygen is not like an oxygen bleed, when the oxygen is just supplemental.

I has some minmally invasive surgery done last week. The anethesist and the surgeon both perferred spinal anesthesia - which is par for the course for that surgery, and they perferrred it even more so because of my OSA - they did let me choose - and I deciced on a spinal. They were careful not to give me the usual pre-op sedation (valium) because fo the OSA, and I was given a minute amount of Versed (2 mg) into the IV, after they had me anesthesized and in an oxygen mask (far less than for a colonoscopy - the 5 mg I had in the colonoscopy knocked me out, I was given no oxygen, and I did use my cpap during the procedure). My oxygen saturation was monitored all through the surgery and in the recovery room (where I did not have oxygen). Everthything went well.

When I was brought up to the ward my sister in law helped me set up the CPAP, and I only used it later on, when I wanted a nap.

I'm sure its different with a general anesthetic - and Rooster yesterday reported a paper showing that CPAP reduces complications in the ICCU after cardiac surgery - but there are conditons where some of us can do well without the CPAP.

O.

[gasparama]

Aw, ozij! Thanks for the explanation about the oxygen saturation. This makes sense even to my feeble mind. I had been told also that as long as I was on oxygen there wouldn't be a problem. But I was given valium and general anesthesia even with the apnea. The first thing I remember from my post surgical time was being wheeled to my room with people trying to find my CPAP machine which was left in a corner in the recovery room. I see, now, why they weren't concerned about it in that area.

I love your new avatar. I hope all is well with you, now.

Jane

[ozij]

I'm fine, Jane, thank you.
Unlike general anesthesia, spinal anesthesia is time limited, and not good for some surgery. Possibly they were less concerned about the valium when they knew you would be intubated for the general...

O.