Taking Heart- Put it in perspective. She also had a headache, and that's more painful than being dead. I mean, let's face it. How many people go to their family doc just because they're dead?
The poor girl got killed and sent for you for a consult? I think no matter what you do, the patient will not spontaneously recover from death, although I hear that is not uncommon...
That's OK...I've been going to the same PCP for over 6 years, now. I have the lung form of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, and at every visit the nurses go down the list of standard questions. I'm always, and I mean ALWAYS, asked if I smoke. The answer is always, and I mean ALWAYS, no. You would think that after so much time they would get a clue...You may ask why I don't switch PCP's. Well, I like her. She's great and she understands my unique problems. Plus, when I feel a lung issue coming on, she'll call in the scripts I need without me having to schlep into her office, exposing myself to the myriad of "hypochondriacs" taking up space in her waiting room. She just needs Dr. Grumpy's nursing staff...
Anonymous, it's a coding issue for billing purposes - providers (or their staff) have to ask certain questions in different categories (medical, family, social) in order to bill for a certain amount of money from your insurance. Smoking, alcohol & drug use are medically relevant and a part of a "social history." "Getting a clue" isn't the issue -- it's all about the money. If you came to our internal medicine practice, you'd get the same question every visit.
I've had customers at work take their blood pressure and come up to me and ask "What is the worst you can have?" And my reply is always "Zeros, you don't want zeros" lol.
If it makes you feel any better my gyno always asks me what birth control I use. I've had them write on my charts numerous times that I'm gay. Yet every time I go in there...
So why isn't the chief complaint "dead"?
ReplyDeleteTaking Heart- Put it in perspective. She also had a headache, and that's more painful than being dead. I mean, let's face it. How many people go to their family doc just because they're dead?
ReplyDeletewell, she is only 18. Maybe she hasn't had enough stress in her life to raise her blood pressure. I could lend her my 3 kids for a few days.
ReplyDeleteAhh, the beauty of an EMR.
ReplyDeleteDoes her allergy list include triptans, ergotamines, topirimate, verapamil, beta blockers, and valproate?
ReplyDeleteAnon- no the patient in this case is normal.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is the doctor there, who is sloppy and putting too much confidence in his EMR system.
I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure that's a bad sign, right? What's the prognosis?
ReplyDeleteOn the bright side, it doesn't look like she has any mercury in her blood. That's a good thing, right?
ReplyDeleteThe lab slips from my doctor's (GP) office list my age as "3." While I appreciate their sensitivity to my age, I'm not sure I can pass for 3...
ReplyDeleteSuch records conjure lines from Monty Python: "not dead yet, but almost there!" ;-)
ReplyDeleteThe poor girl got killed and sent for you for a consult? I think no matter what you do, the patient will not spontaneously recover from death, although I hear that is not uncommon...
ReplyDeleteThat's OK...I've been going to the same PCP for over 6 years, now. I have the lung form of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, and at every visit the nurses go down the list of standard questions. I'm always, and I mean ALWAYS, asked if I smoke. The answer is always, and I mean ALWAYS, no. You would think that after so much time they would get a clue...You may ask why I don't switch PCP's. Well, I like her. She's great and she understands my unique problems. Plus, when I feel a lung issue coming on, she'll call in the scripts I need without me having to schlep into her office, exposing myself to the myriad of "hypochondriacs" taking up space in her waiting room. She just needs Dr. Grumpy's nursing staff...
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to share this article on the (very) odd chance that you haven't heard of this yet:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archive/2009/july/headline_125704_en.html
Aaaamazing! Wouldn't you love taking a closer look at that girl's brain? :)
P.S. I love love love your blog.
Anonymous, it's a coding issue for billing purposes - providers (or their staff) have to ask certain questions in different categories (medical, family, social) in order to bill for a certain amount of money from your insurance. Smoking, alcohol & drug use are medically relevant and a part of a "social history." "Getting a clue" isn't the issue -- it's all about the money. If you came to our internal medicine practice, you'd get the same question every visit.
ReplyDeletetaking the pressure off....
ReplyDeleteI've had customers at work take their blood pressure and come up to me and ask "What is the worst you can have?" And my reply is always "Zeros, you don't want zeros" lol.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel any better my gyno always asks me what birth control I use. I've had them write on my charts numerous times that I'm gay. Yet every time I go in there...