Not much has gone on today, which I guess after yesterday morning is a good thing. They've changed some of his treatments (nutrients, breathing, etc) but his condition has mostly stayed the same. His heart rate was high when I came back in around 7:30pm tonight, which they attribute to the amounts of extra fluid his body is absorbing through diffusion. They've started him on Lasix to lower his heart rate, this seems to be helping a bit. The nurse reminded me that tonight will be the 72-hour point at which swelling generally peaks after a major surgery. Hopefully this means his situation will stabilize further and he'll start on the track to recovery. I'm staying the night in PICU and am hoping his condition is improved in the morning.
The Lasix is working well, but I understand a bit more about why they're cautious to use it. Although it helps manage his heart rate, it also results in increased urination. While this wouldn't normally be a bad thing, it does two things: 1) they cannot accurately measure his normal urination rate, and 2) it means he will take in more fluids. Because he is diffusing, he's not expelling liquids efficiently; that is, he's absorbing more than he should (which causes the swelling).
Regardless, everyone is agreement that giving him the Lasix was the right move. I'm crossing my fingers that his swelling is contained until the morning. If that happens, I'm cautiously optimistic that the worst is behind us.
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