Sunday, April 25, 2010

On call- Idiocy

Dr. Grumpy: "This is Dr. Grumpy, returning a page."

Dr. Internist: "Hi, I'm the hospitalist taking care of Mrs. Dizzy. You saw her this morning, and wrote that it was fine with you for her to go home."

Dr. Grumpy: "Yes."

Dr. Internist: "I'd like to send her home, but just wanted to check with you."

Dr. Grumpy: "Fine with me."

Dr. Internist: "Does she need any more neurological tests while she's here?"

Dr. Grumpy: "No. Why? do you think we missed something?"

Dr. Internist: "No, but just wanted to make sure you didn't have any other neuro-testing-things you wanted to do."

Dr. Grumpy: "No."

Dr. Internist: "Okay. Good. In that case, I'd like to send her home. Are you okay with that?"

Dr. Grumpy: "Yes."

Dr. Internist: "Cool. Thanks for calling me back so quickly."

26 comments:

  1. Phone guy: "I'm sorry sir. You should have said that in the first place."

    You have the patience of a saint.

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  2. What a rough day you're having! Does your head hurt from hitting it against your palm repeatedly?

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  3. once bitten, twice shy.

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  4. Consult: Eval for neuro disease.
    Assessment: No neuro disease.
    Discharge call: So, when do you want pt to follow up with you.
    Answer: I don't. Pt doesn't have neuro disease.
    Rebuttal: So, no need for follow up?
    Sigh.

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  5. Just wanted to clarify the recap of the recap. How very odd.

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  6. On a serious note , I wanted to know what kind of disorders and symptoms do you as a neurologist treat ? I have been wanting to see a neurologist for a long time but the MDs just don't want to send me to one . I have some kind of pressure or pain in my head and my sense of smell is diminished . I seem to have a brain allergy to food as I feel worse after eating cheeses, meats and sugary stuff ( basically everything worth eating ). I've been on antidepressants but most of them don't work . The MDs are not understanding me and I am not getting any help . I did have an MRI but it showed nothing . Does this sound like anything a neurologist can look into ?

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  7. Give the intern a break :D. He might be sweating in the palm for talking to the almighty Dr. Grumpy.

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  8. You really need to be clearer when you write and speak, look at all the people you are confusing!

    Just wow...

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  9. Did he actually say neuro-testing-things??

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  10. Nyet- He's not an intern. Fully trained internal medicine attending.

    Yes, he really said "neuro-testing-things."

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  11. Sounds like the patient isn't the only dizzy one. Perhaps a round of "neuro-testing-things" is in order for that attending?

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  12. much funnier now, knowing He is an internist haha

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  13. So what Internet University (aka M.I.U, as in My Internet University..)did he buy his degree from??

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  14. Agads! Especially at the 'neuro-testing-things'.

    Makes me extra glad that I woke up to my primary care doc standing by my bed when I was admitted for overnight observation(urh..turned into 4 days, boo) through the ER for syncope/seizure. I was fully expecting a random hospitalist to come by.

    Dr. Internist needs a procedure to let his boys drop... I guess his never did in infancy.

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  15. Do you have one of those "metal testing thing-a-ma-gigs" to do the "neuro-testing-things?" Just wondering!

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  16. You are sure that it's okay for her to leave, right? I mean, you're not going to be upset if she goes home? ::looking innocent with hands behind back and rocking back & forth on toes::

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  17. Well, in Dr.Internal Medicine's defense, you, being human and what-not (despite your note okaying her discharge), may have decided that more "neuro-testing-things" were in order.

    "neuro-testing-things" - I like picking up new medical terminology that I can impress my Internist with (snicker).

    Only thing better would have been:

    neuro-testing-thingies.

    Oh...funny thing about posting comments here...the first time I type in WV (correctly, no less), the software replies that I bungled it and requires a second WV, which allows the post. Small price to pay, though. Just thought I'd mention it.

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  18. @Mr Dorland: I've had the same problem several times. What browser are you using?

    Hopalong Ginsberg

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  19. Lovely. I think Dr. Internist would benefit from some neuro-testing-things, an LP and a nerve conduction study would be my first suggestions. Though a soap suds enema might be just as helpful and much cheaper.

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  20. There's probably a note in the chart to the extent of:

    "Spoke with Dr. Grumpy of Neurology who saw and evaluated the patient and stated she was ok to d/c from a neuro standpoint."
    -Dr Internist

    So now when the patient has a seizure in the parking lot. He can refer to your specialist opinion that it was safe to d/c the patient.

    I just got off a consult service and there were one or two other services in our hospital that would consult us just before d/c to cover their butts.

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  21. That is scary. I am sure it was a med student masquerading as an attending.

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  22. @Hopalong Ginsberg

    I'm using Mozilla Firefox 3.6.3 with a number of add-ons that I've been using for a while. The second WV problem seems to have started recently...last month or so - I haven't added any new bits to FF, but I have updated the ones I have as they become available.
    Maybe one of those updates to an add-on caused the problem. I really don't know. Prior to that, I could post with one WV.

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  23. Dear Doctor,
    You go through a lot of suffering. Did you offer to pay for somebody's sins, or are you clearing up yours? LOL

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  24. funny
    Now if I could only get a neurologist to actually follow my seizing brain tumor patients. That would be novel.

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So wadda you think?