Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Relevance

On the fax machine yesterday morning was a note from Dr. Intern's office, about a lady who has an appointment tomorrow.

It said: "Please evaluate Flora Betapir for Alzheimer's disease. Records attached."

The attached records were:

Right hand x-rays from 1999

A mammogram report from 2002

and a Pap smear report from 2005

Sigh.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sure the pap results will be particularly instructive.......

Anonymous said...

They failed to send you a copy of the requisition for the hand x-ray. It read: x-ray r hand.
Clinical history: ?alzheimers

Anonymous said...

Flora Betapir. *snort* The names are the icing on the content cake of this blog.

Packer said...

Even I as a non medical person knows that the mind bone is connected to the hand bone, which is connected to the breast bone, which is connected to the , well you know. The so called mind body connection. But I always wondered about the stages of evaluation for Alzheimers, are drug interactions ruled out first, then injury, then other causes such as stroke or cerebral spinal pressure anomalies. Just wondering what the stages are before a referral to stamp someone with Alzheimer's. The reason I muse is it seems as only cursory reviews of the physical condition of some relatives was performed before they were Alzheimers indicated, and in one instance there was an allergic reaction . This referral seems to be short on the physical review.

Lizard said...

Sometimes my patients self-refer for something I haven't seen them for. The specialist always contacts me for records, and if I just reply that I haven't got anything relevant, that rarely satisfies. So I always pack the records on the fax with a note that I haven't seen the patient for X and have nothing relevant. I always wonder what they think as they go through the records.

Anonymous said...

The next time Dr. Intern refers a patient to you, ask him for a Pap smear report. (Or prostate exam report if it's a man.)

BizzyMomma said...

I have seen a patient from him for the same problem, but she was named Amy Vid...

ndenunz said...

Even Sherlock Holmes would be unable to come up with a diagnosis from those three items.

Loren Pechtel said...

Maybe they are relevant because she doesn't remember having any of them done.

Or maybe the note should state:

Please evaluate Dr. Intern for Alzheimer's disease.

Anonymous said...

The right-hand injury and genital health report would make more sense if the patient was male. I mean, we all know men think with their junk, right?

cliffintokyo said...

Maybe her right hand forgets what her left breast is doing? Now which envelope did I put my brain scan results in? Pap goes the weasel!

 
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