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:

Life in vet school said...

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

You have the patience of a saint.

StudentDoc said...

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

Anonymous said...

once bitten, twice shy.

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

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

Anonymous said...

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 ?

nyet said...

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

EdRPh said...

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

Just wow...

Anonymous said...

Did he actually say neuro-testing-things??

Grumpy, M.D. said...

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

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

The HipCrip said...

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

Anonymous said...

much funnier now, knowing He is an internist haha

Anonymous said...

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

The Duchess said...

Third time's the charm?

outre said...

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.

The Redheaded Pharmacist said...

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

Kat's Kats said...

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::

Mr. Dorland said...

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.

Anonymous said...

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

Hopalong Ginsberg

terri c said...

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.

Joe said...

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.

ERP said...

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

Queen Silly Britches said...

DUH.

Mr. Dorland said...

@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.

Claude said...

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

Anonymous said...

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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