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Suggest Treatment For Diarrhoea And Nausea In An Elderly Person Post Heart Surgery
Question: hi Doctor,
My grandmother had a heart operation, a valve replacement, four weeks ago she was discharged and then got an infection in the blood, and was admitted again. They gave her about 20 bottles of Anti-biotic in drips. She came out of the hospital and then got gout. She is now taking medication for gout and medication for her heart.
She is incurring a lot of dirahheao, For diharrea she is taking Gastron which is generic medicine to ammonium.
When she eats a little even if its fruit or water she feels very sick and nausea and she vomits or dirrahea, Water diarrhoea, very little, like brown stones.
The dihrreao and vomit is causing her to be very weak and she can't walk or do anything, the diarrhoea is been for a week and she goes about 4-5 times a day.
If you can please help As soon as possible,
My grandmother had a heart operation, a valve replacement, four weeks ago she was discharged and then got an infection in the blood, and was admitted again. They gave her about 20 bottles of Anti-biotic in drips. She came out of the hospital and then got gout. She is now taking medication for gout and medication for her heart.
She is incurring a lot of dirahheao, For diharrea she is taking Gastron which is generic medicine to ammonium.
When she eats a little even if its fruit or water she feels very sick and nausea and she vomits or dirrahea, Water diarrhoea, very little, like brown stones.
The dihrreao and vomit is causing her to be very weak and she can't walk or do anything, the diarrhoea is been for a week and she goes about 4-5 times a day.
If you can please help As soon as possible,
Brief Answer:
I wouls explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I understand your concern and would explain that all your grandmother complaints seem to be related to a potential complication of a prolonged use of antibiotic therapy.
As her complaints of diarrhea have appeared after the extended antibiotic therapy, the most probable diagnosis is a dysbacteriosis called "pseudomembranous colitis".
This is a common complication when wide spectrum antibiotics are used for prolonged periods of time.
There are some other predisposing factors which contribute to this complication:
- old age ( older than 65 years)
- patients who are critically ill or have undergone surgery
- use of PPI (lansoprasol, pantoprasole)
- use of opioids etc (like during surgery).
Your grandmother has all the above mentioned risk factors for this possible complication.
I recommend consulting with a gastroenterologist and an infection disease specialist for a careful physical examination and some tests:
- a stool analysis for the detection of the bacteria
-ELISA test for the detection of the bacteria toxins in the stool samples
-abdominal ultrasound or CT scan to exclude possible complications of this disorder (toxic megacolon, perforations, intestinal swelling)
- blood lab tests (complete blood count, kidney and liver function tests, blood electrolytes, etc).
A careful differential diagnosis of other causes of diarrea and other infections should be done.
It is important to treat this disorder as soon as possible to avoid possible complications from dehydration and electrolytes imbalances which could lead to cardiac arrhythmia and circulatory shock, to gastro-intestinal complications like toxic megacolon or intestinal perforation.
You should discuss with her doctor on the above mentioned issues.
Hope to have been helpful!
Feel free to ask any other questions, whenever you need!
Best wishes,
Dr. Iliri
I wouls explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I understand your concern and would explain that all your grandmother complaints seem to be related to a potential complication of a prolonged use of antibiotic therapy.
As her complaints of diarrhea have appeared after the extended antibiotic therapy, the most probable diagnosis is a dysbacteriosis called "pseudomembranous colitis".
This is a common complication when wide spectrum antibiotics are used for prolonged periods of time.
There are some other predisposing factors which contribute to this complication:
- old age ( older than 65 years)
- patients who are critically ill or have undergone surgery
- use of PPI (lansoprasol, pantoprasole)
- use of opioids etc (like during surgery).
Your grandmother has all the above mentioned risk factors for this possible complication.
I recommend consulting with a gastroenterologist and an infection disease specialist for a careful physical examination and some tests:
- a stool analysis for the detection of the bacteria
-ELISA test for the detection of the bacteria toxins in the stool samples
-abdominal ultrasound or CT scan to exclude possible complications of this disorder (toxic megacolon, perforations, intestinal swelling)
- blood lab tests (complete blood count, kidney and liver function tests, blood electrolytes, etc).
A careful differential diagnosis of other causes of diarrea and other infections should be done.
It is important to treat this disorder as soon as possible to avoid possible complications from dehydration and electrolytes imbalances which could lead to cardiac arrhythmia and circulatory shock, to gastro-intestinal complications like toxic megacolon or intestinal perforation.
You should discuss with her doctor on the above mentioned issues.
Hope to have been helpful!
Feel free to ask any other questions, whenever you need!
Best wishes,
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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