Per lives in an apartment at Östermalm with his wife Kristina and was offered treatment on the virtual ward in October 2023 for erysipelas, a serious skin infection. While having dinner with his family, Per began sweating profusely with a high fever. A short while later, a distinct pink color appeared, and that's when Per and his family realized he had contracted erysipelas. Together with his wife, Per took a taxi to the emergency room and was admitted to one of the departments of the Medicine Clinic. Click here to read more.
He was admitted to the department at 04:45 in the morning. When he woke up the next day, he had the option to be transferred to the virtual ward. Since the care plan associated with the diagnosis was predictable, he could be offered a place on the virtual ward after being treated and observed for a very short time. Having been treated for erysipelas on multiple occasions before, Per was familiar with the usual course of treatment. He felt secure being admitted to the virtual ward and stayed at St. Goran's Hospital for less than 12 hours..
"They transferred me back to my home around lunch and during the same evening, my wife and I were expecting guests. I was allowed to attend the party on the condition that I promised not to help with anything and only sit still. So, I comfortably sat on the couch throughout the event, where friends came up and joined me. One of the guests was a lady my age who had a history in the intensive care unit at Södersjukhuset. She noted that I looked much livelier compared to just a few hours earlier in the evening," Per recounted.
On the virtual ward, Per was connected around the clock with an antibiotic pump. Typically, when receiving treatment for erysipelas in the hospital, antibiotics are dosed through an intravenous line. However, the pump prescribed to Per contained the entire day's dose and automatically administered three times a day. This allowed Medoma's nurses to make physical home visits once a day, administer new antibiotics, and check other vital parameters.
"The antibiotic pump was right next to me when I slept. Kristina said it looked like my teddy bear," Per shared.
Per and his wife were very satisfied with being virtually admitted, considering it a perfect solution. This was not the first time Per was diagnosed with erysipelas and he felt stable in his condition and knew how the disease typically progresses and is treated. In previous instances, he had been connected through an intravenous line for three days in the hospital, but he felt that the treatment was unusually fast, and the swelling disappeared faster than usual.
"The rooms in the hospital are dull compared to receiving treatment at home. There's only one TV screen, and the room is sterile. I shouldn't complain considering I had my own room and bathroom, but it's nicer to be at home," Per explained.
After being admitted to the virtual ward, Per was advised by the doctor to continue his medication continuously over a longer period. Normally, a patient takes medication for erysipelas for 10 days, as Per had done in the past. However, given that he had experienced erysipelas several times before, the decision was made to continue the medication for a year.
"It felt safe to come home. I believe in science and felt that I wanted to follow the advice given by doctors and nurses," Per concluded.
