pseudomona infection

[HeathQuad]

After more test on these pimple like bumps it appears it is some form of a mild Sudamona infection. The doctor says it's nothing to worry about as long as the antibiotics are working but can turn dangerous if they stop. I am not having any other symptoms at this time. Where can I get information on this infection? Everything I look up just puts me into treatments for it but I want actual information about the infection.

He gave me most of the basics which are just common sense anyway but I like to try to be informed in case something changes and I need to be asking more questions. Thanks in advance if anyone can help.

[woman from Europe]

Google pseudomonas and read about it.

[HeathQuad]

Am I spelling it wrong?

[woman from Europe]

Jupp ;)

And I can't explain it in English, much easier to goole it and get a good explanation instead of me trying to explain in bad English...

[HeathQuad]

well my screwed up southern redneck english was spelling it wrong. But at least with my bad spelling it was still coming up on search. Thank you

[woman from Europe]

Don't feel bad, I am a medical secretary and those words are the same all over the world. :p

[HeathQuad]

The infection has returned and now have a sore on my foot very close to where my old ones were. I am awaiting referral to the wound clinic for my foot and awaiting the arrival of IV antibiotics every six hours over the next week.

I was hoping this was over with but apparently not so for the ones who have been through it what should I be? Looking for next? I'm really not so sure my doctor has a good understanding of this infection although he says he does. The home health agency is looking into other options. Should I be going to an infection control Dr.?

[SCI-Nurse]

Persistent skin lesions from any bacteria (pseudomonas, MRSA, etc.) warrant a consult from an infectious disease specialist physician. The strain of bacteria is important, not just the type of bacteria. Special tests are often needed, and often non-traditional treatments are needed.

Pseudomonas is a common pathogen. You can read a little about it under the Nanobugs sticky topic at the top of this forum, and also at www.cdc.gov , specific to pseudomonas skin infections:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/derm.htm

(KLD)

[LaMemChose]

The infection has returned and now have a sore on my foot very close to where my old ones were. I am awaiting referral to the wound clinic for my foot and awaiting the arrival of IV antibiotics every six hours over the next week.

I was hoping this was over with but apparently not so for the ones who have been through it what should I be? Looking for next? I'm really not so sure my doctor has a good understanding of this infection although he says he does. The home health agency is looking into other options. Should I be going to an infection control Dr.?

Awwww, Heath. I'm sorry it's back.:(

Any chance you can get a referral to a specialist at UAB to get it contained and cleared up? I know that's a decent distance from you, but I'm wondering if an infectitious disease specialist there can take care of this and you?

I hope you're better soon.

[HeathQuad]

After going from feeling good to very lethargic I am just returning from a short hospital stay. Seems the infection was worse than thought and now has started showing up in my urine culture. We are now back home to continue the at-home treatment. I will be discussing with my doctor about going further and how to control this. I really hope this is not a sign of things to come.

[Mona~on~wheels]

Hoping all goes well & the infection is cured real soon.
God bless you~

[HeathQuad]

This crap is back again, how do you get rid of it? It's getting old pretty quick. I go Tuesday to talk about seeing a urologist regularly (which is kind of stupid because I have one I see every year so why talk about it just go with it and refer) and also about seeing an infection control Dr.. Hoping to get both of these set up pretty quickly.
This will be the first infection that I have really had to deal with on a regular basis so what are some good questions I need to be asking? My GP apparently doesn't know what to do or tell me as he says he can no longer control it and going to talk about referring me on. That is a good thing but I still need some good questions from the people who have been through it.

[SCI-Nurse]

You probably have a highly resistant strain of pseudomonas, which can be caused or made worse by inappropriate use of antibiotics. I would try to see the infectious disease specialist first and see what they say about treatment, if indicated at all. It is likely you may need IV antibiotics.

(KLD)

[HeathQuad]

My general Dr. is really good about not using antibiotics unless absolutely necessary so I have not been exposed to those a whole lot. I was on the iv antibiotics for the earlier infection for 10 days now about a month later it is showing up again. I am currently starting IV antibiotics again (Tobramycin ) one time a day for 10 days. Hoping that works until I can see the infectious doctor.

[quad79]

Hugs Heath.sorry.:(

[HeathQuad]

I am freaking fed up. One whole week with the infection gone before it is showing up again. I have an appt. on Tuesday with the wound clinic and infectious diseases doctor. This is getting old in a hurry.

What specific questions should I be asking? I am totally lost on how to deal with this.

[fishin'guy]

Heath quad. LISTEN to the NURSE OR DOC !!! You need to go to an infectious disease doc, this is the age of specialty, and we have specialties, because? NO BODY knows it all. My father in law was 76 and asked his GFP if he should have the test for prostate cancer(he'd never been tested) and the gp told hin no, not unless he was haveing symptom s. Fing nut-case, thats why you have it done, to catch it early, and it wasn't like he was 30. This guy used to try to do it all.

[HeathQuad]

I have an appointment Tuesday with the wound clinic and infectious disease doctor. That's what I was asking was there anything specific to be talking to him about.

[doingtimeonmyass]

Dude this really sucks. Sorry to hear.

[HeathQuad]

What sucks is waiting so long on the appointment. All the doctors around here are so freaking full it takes forever to get an appointment. Hopefully this infectious doctor will have a good grasp on what to do.

[LaMemChose]

Heath, I'm sorry you've been dealing with this for so long. Frustration is not even the word for what you've been through with this.

Ask your new doc anything you can think of related to this. Ask why it goes away for a week and re-appears. Ask how contagious this is to anyone else. Ask about potential complications from this.

Do you have a print out of all the abx you've been given to date for the pseudo bug including dosages? What about lab work for the lesions? It'd be good to have copies of the medical records with you in case the infectious disease specialist doesn't have those. (Knowing you, you've got copies of all these things, but I mention it just in case.)

If I were you, I'd get my questions into my computer and print them out to take along with me on the appointment.

If it's pseudomonas and what you've been given isn't working, hopefully this doc will tell you what will work, you'll get it and be done with this infection. You've been through enough with this thing.

I'm hoping the pseudomonas is gone soon and you have your skin back and intact.

Hang in Heath. We're pulling for you.

[HeathQuad]

Now I am going to rant a little bit. First I wait two weeks to get a phone call saying they have me set up with the doctors. So now I am at almost 4 weeks from referral to appointment time. So last week I get a phone call saying this is so in so from the clinic we want to confirm your address so we can send out the paperwork so things will go a little quicker on your first visit. No problem it has been two years since I have been to the clinic so I know they need to update paperwork.

So today I get said paperwork in the mail. WTF! This is not the same clinic I had with my last wound care. Hell it is not even in the same city as the last clinic. Upon further inspection the person I'm seeing is just a D.P.M. (basically a podiatrist) that works with doctors that specialize in wound care. Not saying he can't do good care and take care of my foot but that's not what I asked for. And in addition that's all they do there is no infectious doctor in this clinic as there was in the other clinic I used so now I am screwed out of seeing that Dr.


I am going to call Monday and raise hell but I know if I cancel this appointment it will be three or four weeks before I can get somewhere else. We already know the pseudomonas is back and they are just waiting on the sensitivity for the antibiotic. I know I cannot play around with it and wait three or four weeks but I am at my wits end at my doctor's who used to be good who now can't even seem to get referrals to the right people. My only hope is to go to the appointment and show them all the paperwork from the recurrent infection and hopefully with the open wound that can speed things along and make the correct referral to the infectious doctor. Good thing I am alone today because I have lost what little religion I had left.

[Nightmare]

Hoping all goes well & the infection is cured real soon.

[SCI-Nurse]

There is nothing I can say to make this any better. Hope that all goes well and you are feeling better soon.
CKF