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CopD and chest infections

Posted , 5 users are following.

Nanny10
Nanny10

My husband uses a Bipap machine every night. We have just been assigned a wonderful respiratory nurse who saw him when he had a chest infection and loaned us a nebuliser for him to use which I thought was a better idea than more and more antibiotics.  She said that people on Bipap get more chest infections than others with Copd.  He seems to go about 6 weeks between infections.  Is this correct that he will get more infections?

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • cofalot
    cofalot Nanny10

    Posted

    Hi Nanny

    Sorry your dh has copd.

    I don't have copd but have had bronchiectasis all my life and asthma.  I use a neb for a bronchodilator followed by saline, physio and then nebbed anti biotics 28 days on and 28 days off.  Had very frequent infections and am intolerent to many abs.

    Glad to hear you are pleased with your nurse and that she has given your dh a nebuliser.  I don't understand the reasoning of a neb being better than taking antibiotics.  Abs are, as you know used for infection.  It depends what medication your dh has been prescribed but if it is a bronchodilator, this would be used to aid his breathing - quite different purpose from antibiotics.

    I would be interested to hear what reason your nurse gives for saying that folks on nebs get more chest infections.  A guy at the equipment pool at my hospital did tell me some of the nebs he gets back for maintaning are not in a good state of cleanliness and this may be a reason - that the masks/mouthpieces are not washed after every use.

    I have not heard this before but would be very interested to see you future posts or hear from anyone who has also been told this.

    I hope your dh's health improves with the neb.

    cx

    • Nanny10
      Nanny10 cofalot

      Posted

      Sorry I don't think I made it clear.  The nurse said people on Bipap get more infections.  His last infection cleared up by using bronchodilators with the nebuliser- I was pleased because he seems to take so many antibiotics and I worry that they will become less effective if he takes lots of them 
    • cofalot
      cofalot Nanny10

      Posted

      Ah thank you - 'people on Bipap get more infections' - that makes sense to me now.  I wouldn't get too overly worried about resistance to abs - I have been on them on and off for 67 years.  There has been a lot in the media about the overuse of abs but I feel they are talking in the main about the normally fit and well expecting to get them from their GP.  We with lung disease sometimes need them not want them.

      I hope your dh continues to do well with his nebuliser.

      cx

  • emmgee
    emmgee Nanny10

    Posted

    I can't answer your direct question as I have only been on a Bipap in hospital - last time 2 yrs ago - but my resp. nurse has said that chronic COPD sufferers are more prone to chest infections than others (mine have been every 4 to 6 weeks this year) and that antibiotics at that frequency are unlikely to cause problems of ineffectiveness, particularly if doxy and amoxy rotated. In my experience, nebulisers have been used to assist breathing by using drugs like Salbutamol rather than cure infections. However, it is important to remember that literally everyone is different. 
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