FIL psychosis

RJ said:

My FIL has been on a respirator for a while now. He doesn't know me at times and does strange
things like ask to see his dead wife and stretching his arms out as if he is reaching for
something. The doctor called it psychosis and said that it was related to the respirator and lack
of oxygen that he had received (brain damage). He was normal prior to going on the respirator but
has had chronic lung problems his entire adult life. Has anyone heard of this condition?

Is he at home or nursing home? Is he being given medications?

hypertension-consult.com98 toxocological.htmOpen ↗

Hypoxia-induced cerebral edema produces hyperventilation in an attempt J

RJ <[email hidden]> wrote:
: My FIL has been on a respirator for a while now. He doesn't know me at times and does strange
: things like ask to see his dead wife and stretching his arms out as if he is reaching for
: something. The doctor called it psychosis and said that it was related to the respirator and lack
: of oxygen that he had received (brain damage). He was normal prior to going on the respirator but
: has had chronic lung problems his entire adult life. Has anyone heard of this condition?

"ICU psychosis", as it is known, is well documented.

medicinenet.comarticle.htmOpen ↗

Emma

(RJ) said:

My FIL has been on a respirator for a while now. He doesn't know me at times and does strange
things like ask to see his dead wife and stretching his arms out as if he is reaching for
something. The doctor called it psychosis and said that it was related to the respirator and lack
of oxygen that he had received (brain damage). He was normal prior to going on the respirator but
has had chronic lung problems his entire adult life. Has anyone heard of this condition?

Yes, it's common. When the brain is deprived of oxygen - even for just a few minutes - brain cells
begin to die. The result is what you're seeing now.

How well he recovers - and if he recovers - will depend on many things, but mainly it will depend on
the extent of brain damage, which in turn mainly depends on how long his brain went without oxygen.

What happened? Why was he put on a ventilator in the first place?

Thank you all so much for your replies. I am not sure about the specifics of his treatment etc. He
is in Florida and I am in NJ. I was relating to you what my wife who is there told me about his
condition. Dad passed away peacefully this morning.

(RJ) said:

Thank you all so much for your replies. I am not sure about the specifics of his treatment etc. He
is in Florida and I am in NJ. I was relating to you what my wife who is there told me about his
condition. Dad passed away peacefully this morning.

Sorry....

[email hidden] (RJ) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Thank you all so much for your replies. I am not sure about the specifics of his treatment etc. He
is in Florida and I am in NJ. I was relating to you what my wife who is there told me about his
condition. Dad passed away peacefully this morning.

BOXMAN

DID THE OLD MAN LEAVE YOU LOTS OF $$$$$$$

Emma Chase VanCott said:

RJ <[email hidden]> wrote:
: My FIL has been on a respirator for a while now. He doesn't know me at times and does strange
: things like ask to see his dead wife and stretching his arms out as if he is reaching for
: something. The doctor called it psychosis and said that it was related to the respirator and
: lack of oxygen that he had received (brain damage). He was normal prior to going on the
: respirator but has had chronic lung problems his entire adult life. Has anyone heard of this
: condition?

"ICU psychosis", as it is known, is well documented.

medicinenet.comarticle.htmOpen ↗

Emma, When they teach about ICU psychosis do they also mention that the poster's description exactly
matches a person dying? Just wondering because we've gotten those exact descriptions on the cancer
newsgroup from loved ones (after the deaths) and at www.crossingthecreek.com I don't know what
they're teaching but I think all doctors should have to spend some time in palliative care.

And the guy on the url above who had infection (fever) and pain and woke up in a strange
environment, that's not ICU psychosis. I also note that the above url is missing a number of other
possible causes. J

It could also be loss of DHEA, which will, if low enough, result in death.

J said:

Emma Chase VanCott said:

RJ <[email hidden]> wrote:
: My FIL has been on a respirator for a while now. He doesn't know me at times and does strange
: things like ask to see his dead wife and stretching his arms out as if he is reaching for
: something. The doctor called it psychosis and said that it was related to the respirator and
: lack of oxygen that he had received (brain damage). He was normal prior to going on the
: respirator but has had chronic lung problems his entire adult life. Has anyone heard of this
: condition?

"ICU psychosis", as it is known, is well documented.

medicinenet.comarticle.htmOpen ↗

Emma, When they teach about ICU psychosis do they also mention that the poster's description
exactly matches a person dying? Just wondering because we've gotten those exact descriptions on the
cancer newsgroup from loved ones (after the deaths) and at www.crossingthecreek.com I don't know
what they're teaching but I think all doctors should have to spend some time in palliative care.

And the guy on the url above who had infection (fever) and pain and woke up in a strange
environment, that's not ICU psychosis. I also note that the above url is missing a number of other
possible causes. J

Emma,
: When they teach about ICU psychosis do they also mention that the poster's description exactly
: matches a person dying?

It's an expression.

Generally people who are in the ICU are at "death's door". It's easy to see that this also
extrapolates to those dying of cancer (or Y or Z). It's a generalizable term.

If you look at the acronym below, CANCER would come under "C" for CNS Pathology.

Cheers, Emma

For further interest-->

The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) Tools (for confusion/delirium) measurement:

1. Acute Onset
2. Inattention
3. Disorganized Thinking
4. Altered LOC
5. Disorientation
6. Memory Impairment (Short term)
7. Perceptual Disturbances
8. Psychomotor Agitation / Psychomotor Retardation (may alternate also)
9. Altered Sleep/Wake Cycle

The acronym for differential diagnosis of Delirium is "I WATCH DEATH". It stands for:

I Infections (UTIs, pneumonia, encephalitis, etc)

W Withdrawal (ETH, benzoz, sedatives) A Acute metabolic (Lyte disturbances, dehydration, acid/base,
hepatic/renal) T Toxins, drugs (opiates, salicylates, indomethacin, ligocaine, dilantin, steroids)**
C CNS pathology (stroke, TIA, seizures, hemorrhage, infection, tumours) H Hypoxia (anemia,
lung/heart failure, hypotension)

D Deficiencies (Thiamine in ETH abuse, B12) E Endocrine (Thyroid, hypo/hyperglycemia, adrenal
dysfunction, hyperparathyroidism) A Acute Vascular (shock, hypertensive encephalopathy) T Trauma
(head injury, post-operative, hypo/hyperthermia) H Heavy metals (lead, mercury, manganese poisoning)

**other drugs, antiparkonsoniams, cimetidine, psychotropics, amphetamines, theophylline, etc.

Reference: Delirium, by MG Wise. In The American Psychiatric Press "Textbook ofNeuropsychiatry",
1986, pp 89-103. Eds (RE Hales and SC Yudofsky).

Cheers,

Emma