Description of Event or Problem · 1
ON (B)(6) LEGS BEGAN SHAKING (CLONUS) SEVERELY, HIS ARMS WERE CONTRACTED AND HIS HEAD WAS THRASHING BACK AND FORTH. THESE SYMPTOMS WERE COMPLETELY ATYPICAL. SUSPECTING ISSUES WITH HIS MEDTRONICS BACLOFEN PUMP, WE CONTACTED THE DOCTOR WHO MANAGES HIS PUMP. HIS DOCTOR PRESCRIBED ORAL BACLOFEN, WHICH DID NOT APPEAR TO HELP; THE CLONUS AND THRASHING CONTINUED AT VARYING LEVELS OF INTENSITY. ALEX WAS TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM OF OUR LOCAL HOSPITAL WHERE HIS THRASHING AND SHAKING INVOLVED HIS WHOLE BODY AND IT BECAME FRIGHTENINGLY INTENSE AND PROLONGED. (B)(6) WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL ON (B)(6) WITH NO CLEAR REASON FOR HIS SYMPTOMS. IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS VARIOUS TESTS RULED OUT OTHER PHYSICAL PROBLEMS AND REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NO BLOCKAGE IN THE CATHETER. THESE TESTS DID NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF (B)(6) SYMPTOMS AND HE WAS FULLY DISCHARGED ON (B)(6). FOLLOW-UP X-RAYS ON (B)(6) AND AN MRI ON (B)(6) WERE COMPLETED TO RULE OUT ANY JOINT DISPLACEMENT OR BRAIN INCIDENT FOR THE CAUSE OF HIS SYMPTOMS. THESE TESTS WERE NEGATIVE. A RADIOACTIVE DYE TEST ON (B)(6) FINALLY SHOWED THAT THE BACLOFEN WAS NOT EVEN ENTERING THE CATHETER. ALEX HAD SURGERY ON (B)(6) TO INVESTIGATE THE BACLOFEN PUMP AND CATHETER AND THEIR CONNECTION. HIS SURGEON INDICATED THAT THE CATHETER WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE PUMP, BACLOFEN WAS LEAVING THE PUMP AND SIMPLY POOLING IN HIS ABDOMEN. THE SURGEON ALSO CONFIRMED THAT (B)(6) CATHETER WAS CLEAR OF ANY OBSTRUCTION. THROUGHOUT (B)(6) 2014 (B)(6) LEGS BEGAN SHAKING (CLONUS) AND HIS HEAD BEGAN THRASHING BACK AND FORTH SIMILAR TO THE SYMPTOMS HE EXHIBITED IN (B)(6) 2014. HAVING EXPERIENCED THESE SYMPTOMS JUST FOUR MONTHS PRIOR, ORAL BACLOFEN WAS ADMINISTERED IMMEDIATELY PER DOCTOR'S ORDERS. ON (B)(6) X-RAYS WERE TAKEN TO INVESTIGATE THE PUMP/CATHETER CONNECTION. IT WASN'T OBVIOUS FROM THE X-RAYS THAT THERE WAS ANY PUMP/CATHETER CONNECTION PROBLEM. A RADIOACTIVE DYE TEST ON (B)(6), AGAIN, SHOWED THAT THE BACLOFEN WAS NOT BEING ADMINISTERED PROPERLY. IN ORDER TO CONFIRM THAT THERE WAS NO BLOCKAGE IN HIS CATHETER, ON (B)(6) DOCTOR WAS ABLE TO DRAW CSF EASILY FROM THE PUMP INDICATING, AGAIN, THAT THE CATHETER WAS NOT BLOCKED. TO SEE IF (B)(6) WAS RECEIVING ANY BACLOFEN FROM THE PUMP, (B)(6) DOCTOR TURNED ITS DELIVERY DOWN AS FAR AS POSSIBLE ON (B)(6). AFTER THIS PUMP ADJUSTMENT ALEX DID NOT SHOW ANY BACLOFEN WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS OR CHANGE IN HIS BEHAVIOR. THIS INDICATES THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN RECEIVING ANY BACLOFEN FROM THE PUMP. IT'S APPARENT THAT TWO TIMES WITHIN FOUR MONTHS THE CATHETER HAS BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE MEDTRONICS BACLOFEN PUMP, ENDANGERING (B)(6) LIFE AND HEALTH AND CAUSING SIGNIFICANT PAIN AND SUFFERING FROM BACLOFEN WITHDRAWAL. CONCERN NOW CENTERS ON THE CATHETER'S ABILITY TO PROPERLY CONNECT TO THE MEDTRONICS BACLOFEN PUMP. WHAT WILL MAKE IT ANY MORE LIKELY THAT THE NEXT SURGERY CAN RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM?