The University of Kansas Health System is treating a total of 37 COVID patients today, 39 yesterday. Other significant numbers:
- 21 with the active virus today, 21 yesterday
- 2 in ICU, 3 yesterday
- 1 on a ventilator, 1 yesterday
Key points from today’s guests:
Juliette Loring, Ph. D., non-Hodgkin lymphoma patient
- 64-year-old Juliette suffered a heart attack followed by a cancer diagnosis within days of one another. Her situation was so serious, she was transferred from one hospital to The University of Kansas Health System where doctors placed her on an ECMO life support machine to do the work for her failing heart and lungs.
- Juliette was not expected to make it through the night.
- In addition to her heart and lung issues, she was also battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- She praises the team approach to her healthcare, including the doctor at another hospital that transferred her to The University of Kansas Health System to make sure she got the care she needed.
William Freeman, Ed. D., Juliette’s husband, and author
- William wrote a book documenting their story – “A Journey to Survival.”
- The book is also a tribute to the healthcare team that kept her alive.
- It became a joint endeavor between both of them and the emotional pieces were very challenging to write.
Dr. Aung Tun, hematologist and medical oncologist, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- Follow-up care is extremely important. It led to recent detection of another cancer Juliette has and is currently being treated for.
- Counseling is another important part of care in addition to the scans and labs that take place.
- Supportive care and the bedside manner are essential to helping patients fight back on healthcare issues.
Dr. Jeffrey Kramer, cardiothoracic surgeon, The University of Kansas Health System
- ECMO is a process that takes a patient’s blood, oxygenates it and places it back in the body – it is typically used as a last resort for lung failure or heart issues. Juliette had both.
- Her heart function went down to about 10 percent.
- The longer someone is on ECMO, the more complications come up.
- The couple’s positive attitude helped them greatly through this process.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, The University of Kansas Health System
- There was a concern about COVID rebounding with a vengeance when someone takes Paxlovid, but additional data is proving the antiviral is safe and effective.
- There's plenty of evidence to support the fact that people get rebound COVID – maybe even a slightly higher percentage of – without taking the antiviral.
- There is no reason to not to take Paxlovid.
Monday, April 17 is the next Morning Medical Update. How did a random Facebook message help a man with cancer on the stem cell transplant list? Find out more on Monday’s program.
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