Signs of infection from metal stents?
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Hi Caroline, YUCK, there is no odor in the world that can come close to that of bile aroma! I changed Teddy’s external bags for a LONG time and he always apologized for the odor, poor thing, it was not his fault but it IS foul! Teddy had quite a few blood infections from the stents and I learned after the first one that the 2 biggest signs are high fever usually over 101 and at the same time chills so bad I would put 3 blankets, quilts on him and lay on top. He got very weak and I had to call an Ambulance each time as I could not handle him (he was always extremely strong). Once in ER they would start Levequin in an IV drip immediately and this usually required a 3 – 5 day hospital stay. I never noticed an order anywhere but from the bag at changing time. To unclog the stents is usually just a matter of a GOOD anti biotic. Teddy had plastic not metal but I think a blood infection would react the same. BTW the only real way to check for a blood infection is to do a blood culture. But they got so used to Teddy’s visits they knew to start the Levequin right away. Best of luck.
Hi everyone,
A couple of days ago, I noticed an awful smell coming out of my mom’s nose. I recognized the smell as the smell of bile, which I smelled when my mom had a catheter when the first attempt at stent surgery wasn’t successful.
The day that I first noticed the smell, my mom had an appt with her new ONC at Mass General who said that my mom’s liver tests were elevated and that her white cell count is a little high. She said we’ll have to keep an eye out for possible infections and that we should call immediately if my mom develops any chills. She didn’t think the numbers precluded my mom from starting the trial on Cabozantinib. She also didn’t make much ado about the smell, which had lessened considerably by the time we went in to see her (as I kept insisting that the doctor stick her nose closer to my mom’s nose in order to smell what I smelled, I felt like the guy in those WB cartoons with a singing frog that only sings when they’re alone).
My mom had metal stents placed in October. Could it be that they are getting blocked already? What are some symptoms that we should watch for? My mom’s been more tired lately and she’s been complaining of being cold, though that could be related to the weather we’ve been having in Boston. Could the bile smell be a sign of anything? What’s involved in getting the stents unblocked? Is this something that needs to be done right away?
Thanks,
Caroline
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