Eli and I were chained to the hospital last week due to another bout of bronchitis. This is the third time in 4 months that Eli has ended up in the hospital due to a virus. It's like he wakes up in the morning with a little cough and a runny nose, but by dinner time we are back at the hospital due to high fever and wheezing. Thankfully, by day 3 in the hospital, the fever was gone and his breathing was back to normal. However, the doctor did notice some grey areas in his lungs so he was prescribed Augmentin to clear up any lung infections that may have been developing. Unfortunately, we had to continue our stay in the hospital because Eli was having a really hard time keeping his oxygen up while he slept.
Fast forward to Day 7, you could say that we had enough. Eli didn't have a fever, was eating just fine, and his cough was tolerable. We were only there because of the oxygen. I knew a decision had to be made and the resident kept waving off my proposal. Despite his objection, I told him to relay the information to his attending and we would talk about it during rounds the next day. I either wanted Eli to come home on oxygen or we needed a pulmonologist in for a second opinion. Rounds came the next morning and I waited patiently for them to finish before I made my proposal again. However, what was said during rounds still angers me to this day. The doctors were busy conversing the normal details when I happened to glance at the pharmacist technician who is texting on her phone. I first thought that was rude to do while on rounds, especially in front of a parent. She wasn't texting. She was using her calculator because what she says next is very important. She says, "Eli is being underdosed. He is supposed to be getting 235mg of Augmentin, but he is only getting 80mg". Of course, the doctors shut up at once and they look at the attending who looks at me. That's when I say, "Hmm guys, could this be why he still needs oxygen!!" SILENCE........ The attending excuses himself as well as his team and says he will be back to talk with me later.
Needless to say the attending did return and after a very uncomfortable and heated conversation, he apologized. He also stated that the pulmonologist was on his way and we would be going home the next day with or without oxygen. The pulmonologist did arrive and diagnosed Eli with Asthma. He prescribed him with some more drugs that would hopefully minimize our ER visits and plans on following Eli over the next year or two. Eli was given a catch up doses of Augmentin, but we were just thrilled that we only had one more night to get through before we could come home.
Guess who doesn't need oxygen all night?! Yup, after all of that, Eli doesn't need oxygen and we were released from the hospital. Was it due to him getting the correct dosage of medicine or just plain luck? I have no clue....but thank God we are outta of there!
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