Case Study #2 - Respiratory Failure with Pneumonia

This is a 42 year old female that has been in and out of hospitals for several weeks due to shortness of breath and respiratory distress.  She was admitted to Flagstaff Medical Center on 6/12/09 from a rural hospital and was found to be in respiratory failure that required mechanical ventilation and tracheotomy.  She was also diagnosed with severe pneumonia in both lungs, a urinary tract infection, the combination of which was causing the patient to have delirium and encephalopathy.  After failed weaning from the ventilator, the patient was transferred to Trillium Specialty Hospital – East Valley on 7/8/09, for further airway management and ventilator weaning protocol.  Trillium continued her course of IV antibiotics for the multiple infections and introduced physical and occupational therapy to help the patient regain her strength and endurance.  On 7/20/09, the patient was successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation and her tracheotomy was discontinued on 7/23/09.  The patient was successfully discharged home with her family on 7/27/09.

Summary of this case:
Despite being a young woman, this patient was coping with a series of medical problems unsuccessfully until being admitted to Trillium. Our hospital delivered a therapeutic program which addressed each of these problems as part of a comprehensive care plan. Even though ventilator weaning failed at the prior hospital stay, after only 20 days under Trillium's care, this patient successfully regained her respiratory function and sufficient strength to return home to independence. The Trillium staff appreciated the opportunity to help this patient achieve an excellent outcome.