Comments on: Tony the Doorman

By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 03:03:02 +0000

My E.R. doc misdiagnosed my M.I. too – in fact, he told me quite clearly that I was “in the right demographic for GERD” – and then sent me home within five hours after (one) “normal” EKG and troponins – despite my textbook heart attack symptoms like crushing central chest pain, sweating, nausea and pain radiating down my left arm.

I wasn’t lucky enough to have a Melba on shift that day. In fact, my E.R. nurse actually said this to me out loud (I am not making this up!): “You’ll have to stop questioning the doctor. He is a very good doctor and he does not like to be questioned”

This was right after I said: “But doc, what about this pain down my left arm?!?!”

By: Kara Gaponik

Kara Gaponik — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:36:02 +0000

You DID miss it. The nurse caught it.

By: Birdstrike

Birdstrike — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:48:30 +0000

“I’d rather be lucky than good.” -Lefty Gomez
“The more I practice, the luckier I get.” -Gary Player

By: shock@10J

shock@10J — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:12:25 +0000

how did a second ekg change anything? he wouldve gone into vfib and then to cath lab anyways. the real screw up wouldve been to discharge him and you saved his life by admitting a 37 yo w/back pain to r/o acs. good job!

By: Birdstrike

Birdstrike — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 23:38:28 +0000

"...to actually have someone go out of their way to thank the ER doctor and nurse who saved that life..."

By: Nurse K

Nurse K — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 23:27:04 +0000

For the record, this story reads like “I screwed up and the nurse saved me, but I took all the credit when the patient was appreciative”. We love that.

By: Birdstrike

Birdstrike — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 23:14:36 +0000

I’ll be the first to admit that nurses have saved the day many times. That’s why I kept that part in there.

By: Nurse K

Nurse K — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 22:54:13 +0000

Oh, so YOU’RE the doctor that pisses and moans when a LOWLY NURSE decides to do a second EKG. One hospital, I’m trained to do them Q30 mins when there is a high suspicion of MI, and the next, you may as well be insulting the doctor’s mother to do a second. I’ve saved for sure two people just getting a second EKG without anyone’s approval, both of whom were youngish (one of whom was the dad of a hospital administrator).

By: Birdstrike

Birdstrike — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 20:50:52 +0000

So you have a sense of humor all of a sudden Melba? Posting under DT35? LOL

By: DT35

DT35 — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 20:36:57 +0000

Did he (or you) ever say thanks to Old Battleax Melba, whose clinical instincts seem to have kicked in sooner than yours?