Baby Eagan - NICU Day 24

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
2 lb 6 oz - He is very bloated with lots of extra air in his belly. He has an extra orogastric tube in place to try to move this air out.

Length 
14" - Our first updated length!
 
Breathing
Eagan on a different form of CPAP now. He was on Bubble CPAP before and is now on conventional CPAP. This is a slightly higher form of respiratory assistance. Eagan has chronic lung disease due to his extreme prematurity. This means that his lungs are not opening properly and have fluid build-up. The doctors and respiratory therapist hope that the conventional CPAP will be able to help keep his lungs open properly.

Vitals
Eagan had a few severe bradycardias today and some serious desaturations last night.

 
Vein Access
Eagan now has a PICC line in his arm. His arm has to be kept on an arm board now because he is bending it too tightly and it is cutting off the flow of his medications.

 
Medications

Lasix has been given to help Eagan get rid of some of the fluid he has retained. 

 
Vancomycin is being given for a few more days.

Amphotericin will be given for about a week or so.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day. 

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Eagan's feedings are now 0.5 ml every half hour.

Eagan is still getting vitamins and lipids (a healthy fat).

Transfusions

May 3 - Transfusion #9 was given today because his hematocrit was low.

 
April 27 - Transfusion #8

April 23 - Transfusion #7

April 22 - Transfusion #6

April 20 - Transfusion #5

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation. 




Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.