Comments on: Open Mic Weekend

By: Problem-solver

Problem-solver — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 07:38:45 +0000

I never would have chosen to be excluded nor any of these circumstances because this really hurt me. I am distraught they do not seem to care they are hurting me.

By: Long E.D. Doc

Long E.D. Doc — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:13:23 +0000

Excellent point on the fine line between snake oil and legit treatment. Good thing every thing we non-alternative physicians do is sound, scientifically proven, and clearly beneficial to patients! Oh wait, we may have an example or two where that may not be the case…

I’d strive to keep an open, yet at times skeptical, mind when it comes to treatment and definitely not point the finger too hard.

By: Long E.D. Doc

Long E.D. Doc — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:04:23 +0000

Agree with WhiteCoat’s general principles on how E.D. docs decide on the staples vs. sutures topic. At least that’s how I learned it as well. There was at least one plastic surgery study showing staples in the face had the same cosmetic outcome as sutures, however. (Outcome was based more on length of time sutures or staples stayed in placed rather than material or method used.) I know, it’s hard to wrap my head around stapling the face shut.

My lack of embracing the face stapling concept goes to show that once our medical “beliefs” are in place during residency, it’s hard to change our thinking on a topic. No surprise that medicine’s roots derive from religion and superstition. That may well be why physicians, myself included, find it so difficult to change our belief’s once we commit to them. Sounds exactly like religion (or politial parties…), right?

By: Problem-solver

Problem-solver — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 08:39:15 +0000

If anyone would help with a solution when I first asked for help I would not have to keep looking for someone who could fix things — I wish I would not have to ask because I do not think I should be put in impossible situations like this?

By: JJ

JJ — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 16:54:57 +0000

I operated on a woman with glaucoma last week. Stopped her drops 5 years ago because the acupuncturist said it was curable (I have also heard the same thing from a chiropractic patient). Anyway, presented a few weeks ago with chief compaint of decreased vision. Its called legal blindness due to glaucoma. Alternative “medicine” may not be voodoo, but in some instances there is a find line between snake oil and treatment.

By: Pattie, RN

Pattie, RN — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:46:36 +0000

ummm….delete you post?

By: defendUSA

defendUSA — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:21:17 +0000

Anony-
I worked in a practice where we scheduled “nurse visits” for lab work and vaccinations at no charge. But 150 to schedule the test and then paying 159 for the lab work? I just don’t like it.

By: defendUSA

defendUSA — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:18:39 +0000

Thanks, WC. Perhapes I should have stated what the meds were for. Patient gets yearly physical. Must take Adderall, sometimes needs sleep aid and was taking a statin drug. Meds had awful side effects to include muscle aching and pulling (hamstrings). Patient and doc agree to try more weight loss and diet changes over drug. Patient loses weight, eats well, very well…no ETOH, not even wine. BP 120/80–Total Chol. is 218, trig 87, gluc 81. But the LDL and HDL were not improved. New statin drug with diet and exercise also did not improve the numbers for a second time. So the statin drug is not even in the equation at this point. But they are withholding the RX for the sleep aid and the Adderall until a new lipid panel is done- the third one!!

So, yes, I see your point about costs of visits, but to withhold other meds that patient has been on for 8 years because of that is wrong. Physical not due til February.

By: Tanja

Tanja — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 01:20:18 +0000

Yes, I imagine the patient being awake could be problematic for the surgeon- both if they find something unexpected, such as during a diagnostic lap, and because they cannot talk freely. I remember while stitching me up after the c-section they talked about their golf plans for the weekend, but I couldn’t care less as I was holding my baby

By: Anony

Anony — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 16:16:52 +0000

I agree that patients should schedule a visit to discuss lab results ONLY if they are in-depth and have many questions. I do not believe that one needs to be scheduled if it’s just a quick 2-3 minute thing. Hope that’s what you mean.