In the Emergency Room

On Tuesday, November 15, 2011, Baby C had his first trip to the emergency room.  He had a horrible night of crying, coughing and wheezing the night before.  So that morning, my hubby made an appointment with the pediatrician, while I went to work.  (I really wanted to stay home with Baby C, but luckily, my hubby had the day off).  The doctor was concerned about his wheezing, and gave Baby C 2 breathing treatments in the office.  His wheezing did not improve, and therefore, Baby C was sent directly to the ER.  The pediatrician was hoping that Baby C would be admitted.  At the ER, he received 2 more breathing treatments.  Once I got to the hospital, poor Baby C was wheezing and unable to breathe.  He just wanted someone to hold him.  Tears started to roll down my cheeks.  I fed him a little formula, but he threw it all up.  So the ER doctors said no more formula.  Water only.  The ER ended up discharging us home since Baby C was looking better.  We were given an inhaler, but in my mind, I was thinking, "how does an infant use an inhaler?"  They said that the baby will breathe it in when he is crying.  Anyway, they told us to return if his wheezing gets worse.

Once we arrived home, we gave Baby C 2 puffs of the inhaler.  His wheezing somewhat improved, but then quickly worsened an hour later.  The inhaler was prescribed to be used every 4 hours, but we gave him another 2 puffs anyway.  It was time for bed, but his wheezing kept getting worse and worse.  I packed up some clothes and toiletries (just in case he was admitted to the hospital), and we headed back to the ER.  We got there at 9 PM and were roomed within 15 minutes.  He was given 3 more breathing treatments and also a dose of steroid.  He seemed to be doing much better, and even fell asleep.  The ER doctor then discharged us home at 2 AM.  Baby C slept pretty well that night.

The next morning, we went back to the pediatrician's office for follow-up.  His wheezing continued, but was better than the day before.  We were given a nebulizer machine with medicine, so we can give the breathing treatments ourselves.  He was also given a prescription for 4 more doses of steroids.  After giving him the medications, he is doing much better now.  We can still hear some mucus in his lungs, which he is trying to cough up.  But no more wheezing.

The doctor diagnosed him with bronchiolitis, but warned us that his risk for asthma is high since both my hubby and I had childhood asthma.  Plus, Baby C has a history of eczema.  I remember all the breathing treatments I received as a child.  I hope Baby C won't have to endure what we went through.  I'm just glad that he's doing better now.  Plus, we now have the tools to take care of another wheezing episode, if it happens (which I hope it won't).

The inhaler we received from the ER.  Baby C hated the mask, but we had to
hold it to his face for at least 10 seconds.  Unsure whether he got the medicine.

Nebulizer machine for his breathing treatments.  I had one as a child,
and the size and noise hasn't changed at all.