My husband has had home clean outs kind of. He starts out in the hospital, they get all the dosing right and then is sent home after about three days with home health. He had a pic line and they came and changed the dressing etc. He would change his medicines himself and just wore a little fanny pack. He's kind of a rebel, so he has golfed and played basketball with his pic line but I don't think that's recommended.

I used to do that all the time. My insurance is crappy now and won't cover home health care, but when I had a decent job I would be inpatient for a few days and then send home with meds and a picc line. The home health nurses would come and teach how to do all the treatments and change the dressing and stuff. I always thought this was a great option b/c I get really depressed when I'm in the hospital, and I think that influnces my ability to get better. I would highly reccomend outpatient slean outs.

by the way, I was probably about 12 the first time I did this, and about 24 the last time.

My 18 year old son has had his clean outs at home for atleast a dozen years now. When we first started they had him in the hospital for a week and then sent us home and a nurse came out and ran all of the meds etc. After a while they taught us to run the meds, and then even later he had a port-a-cath which is sort of a permanent IV when we had that we even drew the labs. When he had the port we didn't even have to go into the hospital. Now he doesn't have the port anymore. They don't last forever. Just almost. They only put them in someone who will be on IVs a lot because you have to access it and flush it once a month and that's a lot if you aren't getting IVs frequently. If you are it can be a lifesaver. you only get poked once a week to change the needle that you access the port with. The last 2 times he's been on home IVs they put a picc-line in while in the hospital. The first time it was a breeze because he was out when they put it in, and they used an x-ray to put it in. The last time the IV team tried to put it in, and they messed up royally. Mind you this was in the hospital. They hit a nerve, and he couldn't use that hand until they removed it, and he had to get physical therapy. The home health company they sent out this time has some "different" nurses. I'll try a different company next time. I don't know about your area or your home health company, but just like in the hospital, you have to watch to make sure they know what they are doing, and are following proper sterile procedures, etc. I really prefer the home IVs to the hospital around here. Best of luck.

My son is 3 years old and I had inquired about this too. Our CF doctor said they use to give the parents the option, after the CF child was of school-age, but studies have shown that it takes longer for the patient to progress because they are not recieving the individual attention they need and they also said they are not getting as much rest when they are at home, because most households are busy.

Clean outs at home have been a life saver for me. I have done the meds at home both with a PICC line and now, a more permanent medi-port. For me, I do not get enough sleep in the hospital (someone is always coming in and at between 7am and midnight, restricting my sleep to only 7 hours, and I need 9 hours to stay/get healthy). AND I have caught a multi-resistant infection in the hospital. I have also found that I am far more reliable at getting myself meds on time, and giving the time to my respiratory therapy it deserves (RTs can have a schedule to keep and not have an extra time to dedicate extra time to in need positions, etc).
It can be scary at first to manage the meds, and processes, etc. but you will get over that very fast.
My first home IV course was probably in my early 20s, but that is because I didn't have IVs at all until I was 17. I have both spent some of the time in the hospital and at home, and the whole tune-up at home. I think it is a truly wonderful thing. As someone above mentioned, I find hospitals depressing and exhausting. I think think home IVs are the best.

maybe i missed something. what is this clean out you refer to? i've only been hospitalized twice, both in college because of dehydration. both times i got so constipated that they had to run a line up my nose and into my stomach to pump in golight. never had a tube up your nose? i highly recommend it. anyway, the second time, i also had a pretty bad lung infection which required a pic line to feed me antibiotics for about two weeks on metered doses. is this what you're talking about?

Clean Outs aka tune ups. I'm pretty sure. They send you home to do iv's.

Patrice has had iv's at home. It is your call. We did ok at home. You stay in the hospital for about 3 days until your levels are correct. I think that it is mostly tobi levels. Patrice has been too sick the last 3 times to come home. I think that she was about 12 her first time home. They teach you everything at home.

Patrice has had iv's at home. It is your call. We did ok at home. You stay in the hospital for about 3 days until your levels are correct. I think that it is mostly tobi levels. Patrice has been too sick the last 3 times to come home. I think that she was about 12 her first time home. They teach you everything at home.

I start out in the hospital for about a week or so. then on the third week i came home and i had a nurse come and they had the medication in the refridgerator and then you just change the bag.. They will explain it all.

They let Richie do that too. I'm pretty sure he's been sick the last bunch of times he's been in the hospital, and not for a "tune-up." But they'll admit him for 12-14 days and then send him home with the IV and the picc line. it's better, because he gets SUPER antsy in the hospital... and it doesn't cost me an arm and a leg to visit with him!!

I am planning to have most of my iv's at home. I have had home iv's in the past, but I have been without a port for the last couple of years, so it hasn't been possible. I now have a port, so am able to resume home i.v's. It works very well, and the support from the drugs suppliers is excellent. One thing to mention though is that people with cf have been shown to benefit more from courses of iv's given in hospital, and there is a more pronounced difference for women. One explanation is that if one is in hospital, they are more likely to rest, and take advantage of the physiotherapists on hand. That said, I feel I can get almost as much out of a course at home, but not if I try and fit it into my life as it normally is. I need more time for myself, which involves my daughter being cared for sometimes by her grandparents. It means I see her a lot more than being in hospital though. If a person is particularly unwell I think they are definately better off in hospital. The administration and organisation involved in home iv's, demands some energy, and if you are relying upon yourself, and not feeling well enough, it can be too difficult.