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Water infections & confusion
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Hi. My Mum is in hosp at mo, she has a water & chest infection, plus high potassium in her blood. She 74 and is very confused and delirious - she comes out with these wild stories of events which never happened but sincerely believes in them.
She has lung cancer which was diagnosed Dec 2010; she's received chemo & radiotherapy last year, however, the doc's stated a while ago they could offer no further treatment. She was very poorly at weekend, and barely awake it was very frightening as we thought it was coming to the end. But she's perked up, albeit confused. She's never displayed signs of dementia before and the onset IMO is too quick. She's receiving treatment for the infections and potassium overload, but what are the chances of her mind returning to normal? Thanks in advance.
She has lung cancer which was diagnosed Dec 2010; she's received chemo & radiotherapy last year, however, the doc's stated a while ago they could offer no further treatment. She was very poorly at weekend, and barely awake it was very frightening as we thought it was coming to the end. But she's perked up, albeit confused. She's never displayed signs of dementia before and the onset IMO is too quick. She's receiving treatment for the infections and potassium overload, but what are the chances of her mind returning to normal? Thanks in advance.
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Phew!........no idea whether her mind will return to normal.
Why is she getting confused?
Reading your post, her chest infection and urinary infection are certainly the most likely causes of her confusion as is the electrolyte imbalance (high potassium) which would lead me to suspect that she has developed a degree of renal (kidney) failure.
IF she responds to treatment for the above conditions then she might....just might....recover some degree of "mental normality"....might.
Why is she getting confused?
Reading your post, her chest infection and urinary infection are certainly the most likely causes of her confusion as is the electrolyte imbalance (high potassium) which would lead me to suspect that she has developed a degree of renal (kidney) failure.
IF she responds to treatment for the above conditions then she might....just might....recover some degree of "mental normality"....might.
She is receiving Sodium Chloride IV and antibiotics for infections. She is not eating and only drinking very little - this has been the case for around 5/6 days now. She was also losing her sight on and off last week - this seems to be ok for now, she is very thin (which she has been for a while) and could at one point move with a frame but has now lost all mobility and has deteriorated very quickly in the last few days.
My mother in law (78) was hospitalised last Christmas with severe confusion. She was diagnosed with water infection and treated with anti-biotics.
From seeing people climbing in through the (third floor) hospital window and sex parties upstairs every night, etc etc. she made a complete recovery. She still believes all the things she saw were real though and can't be convinced otherwise.
Very strange.
From seeing people climbing in through the (third floor) hospital window and sex parties upstairs every night, etc etc. she made a complete recovery. She still believes all the things she saw were real though and can't be convinced otherwise.
Very strange.
I know Graham, the more I talk to people the more they say UTI's in the elderly cause havoc with the brain, I'd never heard of it before. She's gone from being quite a timid, quiet woman to a right old worky ticket! Nobody on the ward is getting any sleep through her!
Anyway, things pretty much the same. Doc's cannot tell us anything before Fri, by which time she'll have been on anitbiotics for a week - and if there is no change in her condition they are going to do a head scan. I think this may be also to check to see if the cancer has spread there, as she was losing her sight intermittently as well. Thanks for the good wishes, I'll keep you posted x
Anyway, things pretty much the same. Doc's cannot tell us anything before Fri, by which time she'll have been on anitbiotics for a week - and if there is no change in her condition they are going to do a head scan. I think this may be also to check to see if the cancer has spread there, as she was losing her sight intermittently as well. Thanks for the good wishes, I'll keep you posted x
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