Our Healthcare system just leaves me befuddled at times.

[DSRIGGS]

We went to the HS graduation party for the youngest son of one of our family friends. Being sickly I don't get out much so I hadn't seen Dean since he had to have emergency angioplasty for a 90% blockage a few months back. He looks great now having dropped a good 40 pounds. He is one that puts on takes off that marginal weight fairly easily.

Anyway he told me that after the angio and stent placement the cardiologist sent him home with not freaking instructions whatever. Basically, "you are good to go now get out of here". The guy had a 90% blockage and you don't talk to him about lifestyle changes??????

Additionally, and I wasn't aware of this, when he got home he looked at his discharge paperwork and his glucose was very high. In fact his fasting glucose was 260! He had no idea of this condition (he is 47 and had been relatively healthy so he had no lab work - probably should have know because his Dad had bad diabetes that made his last 10 years miserable) and of course the Cardio team said, NADA to him about seeing his PCP or an ENDO because of the glucose. He started researching and went to his PCP's office and requested an A1C test. Yep his A1C was over 10!

What the hell is wrong with our system when a medical team doesn't catch a fasting glucose of 260 and refer the patient to an Endo or PCP???? A cardiologist knows how much diabetes increases coronary risk so to me it is absolutely unacceptable for them not to catch this glaring test result and refer to a specialist.

Thankfully Dean is taking this very seriously changing up his diet and is now on medication while monitoring glucose closely. Others are not as astute as my friend and could have ended up not catching it and dead in a few months to a few years as a result.

 

[DianaCox]

That is utter medical malpractice, in my opinion. I would file a complaint with the cardiologist's practice, the facility where the angioplasty was performed, and with the state medical board.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Seems so to me as well.

 

[Larra]

To me, this seems less like a systems problems than a failure of that particular doctor to check the lab results on his patient, i.e. an individual screwed up. That can happen even in the best of systems, which we certainly don't have. But the system was in place - there were required pre-procedure labs, the labs got done, the results were recorded and relayed to the medical team. You can't blame the system when a doctor fails to pay attention to lab results.
I'm glad your friend, and now his pcp, are paying attention and doing the right things, but you are right that a lot of other patients would have just assumed that if there was a serious problem, the doctor would have told them about it - as he should have.

 

[DSRIGGS]

To me, this seems less like a systems problems than a failure of that particular doctor to check the lab results on his patient, i.e. an individual screwed up. That can happen even in the best of systems, which we certainly don't have. But the system was in place - there were required pre-procedure labs, the labs got done, the results were recorded and relayed to the medical team. You can't blame the system when a doctor fails to pay attention to lab results.
I'm glad your friend, and now his pcp, are paying attention and doing the right things, but you are right that a lot of other patients would have just assumed that if there was a serious problem, the doctor would have told them about it - as he should have.

I guess why I say system, is that nurses in hospital settings usually pick up on these things too. That being said it is an individual(s) failing.

 

[Larra]

It's great when the nurses pick up on stuff like this, but ultimately it's the doctor's responsibility.

 

[DSRIGGS]

It's great when the nurses pick up on stuff like this, but ultimately it's the doctor's responsibility.

agreed

 

[Charris]

With as sick as I have been the latest 3 years I have to admit I've had some damn good medical care and even better NURSES. Especially the first time when I was almost dead I had a young nurse named Rubi. man she took care of me like I was her child
She went over and above. When she gave report to my next nurse they better be paying attention to every word she said. I've been very surprised how the quality is have had in these recent years is 100 times better than in previous years. You can tell if they are there because they care about people or if it's because of the $$$$!

When I got better I took her a gift card. I felt like I needed to let her know that I realize that she went over and above for me and I appreciated it.

 

[DSRIGGS]

With as sick as I have been the latest 3 years I have to admit I've had some damn good medical care and even better NURSES. Especially the first time when I was almost dead I had a young nurse named Rubi. man she took care of me like I was her child
She went over and above. When she gave report to my next nurse they better be paying attention to every word she said. I've been very surprised how the quality is have had in these recent years is 100 times better than in previous years. You can tell if they are there because they care about people or if it's because of the $$$$!

When I got better I took her a gift card. I felt like I needed to let her know that I realize that she went over and above for me and I appreciated it.

Oh without a doubt there are more good ones than bad ones, and I have had some very good Nurses and docs. Unfortunately I have had some who weren't so good. I learned to never trust them when they tell me labs are good and I always ask to see them because you have can have numerous things out of range and because it isn't half the lower limit or 5 times the upper limit they say it is all good. We know our bodies better than anyone and know when things aren't right so I have learned to look for trends and always ask, ask, ask.

Nurses by and large do a great job. Some aren't so good but that goes with every profession but again more good than bad ones I have encountered. My Mom was an RN and she loved her job helping people. She was a charge nurse at a hospital but when I was born (3rd of 3) she decided to take a job at the local PCP rather than drive 30 minutes every day. She ended up being more of a Nurse Practitioner and Office manager than an RN. She worked for a great DOC and he knew she was great and used her to help him. We had people at our house and the phone ringing all the time for minor medical emergencies to serious ones. That being said, the system is so different today she would not have been able to do half of what she did.

 

[Charris]

@DSRIGGS my mother was a RN for very 40 years.

 

[Munchkin]

@DianaCox is right. Missing a fasting BS of 260 does constitute malpractice to me!

 

[Spiky Bugger]

@DianaCox is right. Missing a fasting BS of 260 does constitute malpractice to me!

Yeah, well...my BMI IS 25.7 and I'm a male, per the records from my recent hospital visit.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Yeah, well...my BMI IS 25.7 and I'm a male, per the records from my recent hospital visit.

Well when you see them next, whip it out and pee on them!!!!!!!!

 

[DSRIGGS]

@DianaCox is right. Missing a fasting BS of 260 does constitute malpractice to me!

Unfortunately not in this conservative area. One has to die from the malpractice and then the family has a 50/50 shot at best of wining a judgement in their favor.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Well when you see them next, whip it out and pee on them!!!!!!!!

Nope...we're floppin' 'em out on a table and MEASURING, dammit!