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What Causes Brown And Yellow Discharge From The Trach While On Antibiotics?

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Posted on Thu, 28 Apr 2016
Question: My husband has a trach and has had brown and yellow discharge from it for a week. He is on antibiotics. Is this common?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (13 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Antibiotics should help to treat that and reduce that discharge

Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.

Thank you for writing to us.

I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. The antibiotics are most probably for an infection due to which there is some amount of bleeding and sputum being produced, that is leaking from the trach your husband has.

This should not be a cause for concern, but it can also be used as an indicator for the infection; this should start disappearing as the antibiotics take effect and start helping him improve. If despite the completion of the course of antibiotics, the brown and yellow discharge still persists, then it should be reported to his treating doctor.

I hope I have explained things in a manner best understood by you. Please do not hesitate to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.

Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shoaib Khan (8 minutes later)
Is it common for a trach to cause a lot of upper respiratory infections? What cause the discoloration?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (2 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
They do occur, but not always too often; bacteria and blood

Detailed Answer:
Hi ma'am.

It is common for them to occur, but not too often.

The discolouration is due to the infection purely; the yellowish colour is caused due to the bacteria and the brownish colour is a tinge of blood which is also seen with the infection.

Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shoaib Khan (3 minutes later)
What cause the blood to be in the discharge?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (5 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Either due to the bacteria causing erosions or due to trach itself

Detailed Answer:
Hi ma'am.

Blood is commonly seen with most infections and so is the case with the respiratory infection as well. Blood results with mild abrasions around the area of the trach or due to erosions in and around the region caused by the bacteria causing the infection. This is nothing to worry about, and should subside with the infection. But every now and then, you may observe some amount of blood from the trach region purely due to the presence of the trach and the artificial opening.

Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shoaib Khan (31 minutes later)
Is there anything we can do to prevent these infections? He is on a day course of amoxicillin and another antibiotic. Do these take a while to work? His skin around the cuff is very raw and I clean it repeatedly and put ointment on it. Should I be doing anything else? If I put gauze around it gets wet from the coughing. Thank you.


10 day course.

still waiting for an answer to my last question. thanks.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (11 hours later)
Brief Answer:
My sincere apolgies for the delay

Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.

Sorry for the delay, got a little caught up at the hospital. These infections occur due to an array of reasons:

+Low immunity
+Age contributes towards lowering of immunity
+Open wound (although artificially created by us)
+Medications that cause immunosuppression
and a few others.

The medications mentioned should start showing signs of improvement about 48-72 hours after initiation ma'am.

Applying ointment will help, but also give it a chance to ddy up and heal as this will also help, keeping it moist all the time prevents rapid healing.

Sorry once again for the delay and please do not hesitate to ask my anything.

Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shoaib Khan (3 days later)
My husband is also diabetic and is on a feeding tube using 6.5 cans of jevity 1.5 at night for about 14 hours. His blood sugar levels are going up to over 400 or 500. He gives himself the prescribed units of insulin which will sometimes bring the level down. Can the high blood sugar levels cause weight loss because he has lost about 4 lbs in the last couple of weeks?
Thank you.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Yes ma'am, it can easily lead to weight loss ma'am

Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.

Yes of course it can lead to weight loss, and not only that it can also lead to multiple infections (which can be recurrent) and also poor and really slow healing, which is indeed a problem. High blood sugar (usually not very well controlled) can result in very poor healing of wounds and even the simplest of conditions or infections ma'am, so that is not good news for us.

Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shoaib Khan (11 minutes later)
Thank you.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (15 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
It was my pleasure entirely ma'am

Detailed Answer:
You are always welcome ma'am.

Best wishes.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Shoaib Khan

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2009

Answered : 9409 Questions

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What Causes Brown And Yellow Discharge From The Trach While On Antibiotics?

Brief Answer: Antibiotics should help to treat that and reduce that discharge Detailed Answer: Hello ma'am and welcome. Thank you for writing to us. I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. The antibiotics are most probably for an infection due to which there is some amount of bleeding and sputum being produced, that is leaking from the trach your husband has. This should not be a cause for concern, but it can also be used as an indicator for the infection; this should start disappearing as the antibiotics take effect and start helping him improve. If despite the completion of the course of antibiotics, the brown and yellow discharge still persists, then it should be reported to his treating doctor. I hope I have explained things in a manner best understood by you. Please do not hesitate to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help. Best wishes.