Summary Part Two: The Possibilities

This is a rough roadmap for the different ways things could go. Nothing here is for certain, this is simply the way things could go.

A tracheostomy might be prudent at some point. This would allow TJ to cough (get stuff out of his lungs) and be taken off sedation. After a week or so they might be able to put him on a version of the trache that would allow him to talk.

They might have to repeat a CT scan to look for fluid in the plural cavity (the plural effusion thing again) and either reinsert the chest tube, or operate. All of this depends on how things develop.

If there is a ring infection they will need to operate, but this isn't a priority at this point -- they haven't even taken time to look yet. If he has one it would be an infection around the mitral valve. My medical adviser says this is incredibly technical and it's not worth saying much about, especially as they doctors are less worried about the mitral valve at the current time. (See the previous post.)

There is a more significant possibility that TJ can develop a secondary infection, an infection of another organism. At this point, he is quite vulnerable to that.

There is another antibiotic they can put him on, but it is not thought to be "synergistic" with the current antibiotics, so, for now, that is off the table.

Next Post, Summary Part Three: The Caveats (Sickest Man in the Hospital)