Given the recent post about endocarditis, swine flu and heart valves, I’ve received several emails about these topics. Laura just sent me an interesting question asking for your help about dental cleanings, gum bleeding and atrial fibrilation.
I just received a great email from Janice about directions for the incentive spirometer after heart valve surgery in which the heart-lung machine was used.
She writes, “Hi Adam - I just read your blog about the incentive spirometer, fluid in the lungs and pneumonia. I’m 64 and going in for mitral valve repair next week. I’m curious to know how patients actually use the spirometer. Can you help me prepare? Thanks, Janice”.
In the past, I would immediately direct Janice to a blog titled, “How To Use An Incentive Spirometer?”. Today, however, I decided to see if there were any online videos that could help Janice out. It took about five minutes, but I was lucky to find a pretty good video that addresses Janice’s question. Although the production of this video is relatively amateur-ish, the quality of instruction is very good. That said, I hope you enjoy it.
FYI, if you have never heard of an incentive spirometer before, patients use this breathing tool after cardiac bypass surgery to (i) prevent pneumona, (ii) reduce fluid in the lungs and (iii) protect the alveoli.
About The Author:Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of 78 former valve surgery patients to help patients and caregivers better understand the problems, the opportunities and the realities of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
I just received a roller coaster email from Sarah about endocarditis, swine flu (H1N1 virus) and heart valves that made my head spin. In the end, Sarah raises some great points for patients and caregivers about endocarditis, swine flu, fevers, false tests and dental work. Here is what she writes:
Adam,
I just returned from a very scary 36 hours that landed me in the hospital with fears of endocarditis.
Last Friday, I called my primary care doctor because I had been fighting a cough, congestion and fever for over a week. She did a quick test for the flu, it came up negative. I told her that I had dental work to put on a crown about 10 days earler, two days before the fever started. Well, that set up a red flag for the possibility of a heart valve infection (endocarditis) even though I had used amoxicillin as advised by my doctor before the dental work.
Jan just sent me an interesting email about pleural effusions and heart valve surgery.
In her note, Jan writes, “Dear Adam, I am the caregiver of my 59-year old brother who had aortic valve replacement (with a bovine valve) at Vanderbilt University Hospital on July 13, 2009. The valve itself has done okay but he has been in-and-out of the hospital twice since surgery. Fluid continues to collect between his chest wall and right lung. The fluid has been drained twice. Is this common? Thanks, Jan”
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