Tuesday, August 24, 2010

That ISN'T normal?

I went to ER yesterday afternoon to see a consult, and found this in the chart.

For my non-medical readers: EMS = Emergency Medical Services (i.e. paramedics).

(click to enlarge)

21 comments:

Angela said...

Well it could be normal... for some people.

xx
Jaxs

Anonymous said...

Poor lady. But I still had to laugh.

Anonymous said...

Documentation, documentation...

Kat's Kats said...

@Jackie - True, but those people would be unlikely to be in the bathroom unattended in the first place.

Anonymous said...

"Usually, when she sees me, she jumps up and down and wags her fanny."

The Redheaded Pharmacist said...

Some people are into some weird stuff Dr. Grumpy! You never know what one individual's own version of "normal" is these days!

Grumpy, M.D. said...

Did you have to say "stuff"?

Cthulhu Sashimi said...

"I knew something was wrong with her when I told her for the third time to make me dinner and she was still just lying there. Speaking of which, nobody's made me dinner yet. As long as you guys are here in my house, how about if one of you makes me dinner?"

OMDG said...

Maybe EMS asked her if she was always like that.

Eileen said...

It may have been only the "non-verbal" bit that wasn't normal. He might have been quite used to the "not following commands" part and you don't know how often she lay on the bathroom floor to clean behind the toilet. Just a suggestion...

wv = rheavi - BTW, was she a bariatric patient?

Anonymous said...

The writing on the chart is legible. That's what's abnormal about this post, right?

Anonymous said...

Hi Dr. Grumpy,
I just read this article and thought you might be interested. Maybe somewhere to go on your next vacation - ??

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/health/24brain.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=health

Enjoying your blog daily! Thanks!

The Mother said...

I have teenagers. Just lying there and refusing to respond to commands seems pretty normal to me.

EMT GFP said...

Normal is a pretty darn useful expression. Normal, or rather, blatantly repeating to a paramedic (I am a basic, no fun drugs or ET tubes for me) that the family said this is really not normal (he was apparently sharper that "your or me" normally and was barely half coherent) was what finally got the paramedic convinced that this was in fact a head trauma and I wasn't nuts for putting on a C-collar.

Normal is all about perspective and definitely key. :)

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm, I don't know. I mean, that's often the state I assume when I lock myself in the bathroom to hide from the kids - complete silence just might convince them I'm napping on the bathroom floor & they will give up and go away. Y'know, kinda like playing possum.

Maybe the EMTs should have spent a few minutes assuring her that the kids were not in the house & she just might have come round.

a.generic doc said...

My dog is often found on the floor in the bathroom and not following commands, and usually not verbal.

Do I need to call the Paravetics?

Does he need a neuro consult?

Anonymous said...

it would indeed be helpful to know just when and where the change from normal to abnormal happened

ERP said...

Yeah, that's normal for my wife though. How am I supposed to know when to call EMS for her!?!?!?

Anonymous said...

Dang, looks like my link above doesn't work. It was supposed to link to a story about the Cushing's Collection of cancerous brain specimens:

The Cushing collection in the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library at Yale University at 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (203) 785-5352.

terri c said...

Usually if I am on the bathroom floor I am (a) deathly ill with a GI virus and waving feebly to attract the attention of the death angel; or (b) scrubbing the floor and grumbling about the dirt. If (a), I am far too sick to go to the doctor, and if (b) I don't need to do so. Good thing I don't have a husband trying to decide if I am normal...

wv: mersit. Does that mean "give it MRSA?"

BinkRN said...

Oy, I have a couple regulars that could have that as a near daily occurrence. Easily deciphered from the really ill person by the sternal rub that gets then squirming.

 
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