Petty Vents

[GotGarlic]

Yes, in a hospital setting, I would certainly expect the doctors to be up on what other medications other doctors might be prescribing. And sure, everything is online. But, pharmacists have studied pharmacology and understand the drugs even better than doctors do. They keep up on drugs, specifically. They hear about side effects before most doctors do. I like getting input from my pharmacist. Hmm, I seem to remember my GP, when I had one, telling me to talk to the pharmacist about some drug and possible interactions. In a non-hospital setting, there can be a number of doctors prescribing medications and not talking to each other. I think it is more efficient to have the pharmacist vet all of that.

Sure, I didn't mean to devalue getting help from pharmacists. My doctors do look up drugs in office visits as well. And all of my doctors ask what meds I'm taking every time I see them. I would hope all doctors do. I keep a list on my phone of my meds with dosages and why I'm taking them so I always have it available.

 

[dragnlaw]

Ahhh yes, being asked what meds are you taking - another Petty Vent for me. You are doing the rounds and in one day are asked by at least 3 people, sometimes more, date of birth, what meds, .... all while they are looking at it on their screen and making little notes on their paper. Yes, I understand it is a security check - but I'm not going to switch places with someone half way down the hall while being escorted to the next techy.

 

[GotGarlic]

Ahhh yes, being asked what meds are you taking - another Petty Vent for me. You are doing the rounds and in one day are asked by at least 3 people, sometimes more, date of birth, what meds, .... all while they are looking at it on their screen and making little notes on their paper. Yes, I understand it is a security check - but I'm not going to switch places with someone half way down the hall while being escorted to the next techy.

Another reason is that people often remember more details each time they're asked. Some people are more open with certain care providers than others. Sometimes there are discrepancies that need to be resolved. The questions also help them evaluate the patient's mental and physical state. When you're in the hospital and the doctors, nurses and (in the hospitals here) residents and med students ask the same questions, it's because they're tracking how people feel and how that changes over time.

 

[Andy M.]

SO and I take a fair number of meds every day. We got tired of being asked for a list all the time. One time I said to the woman behind the counter, "Don't you have a list on the computer?" She said yes. ????

Also, now most the medical professionals we see are affiliated with the same hospital conglomerate and are linked via computer so they share the same information. No more repeated questionnaires.

 

[dragnlaw]

GG, I fully understand their reasonings behind it. I just find it bloody annoying.

Andy, that's what makes it worse, you know they are sitting there looking at the same info! I've often been know to say... "whatever you see on the screen has not changed from 5 minutes ago, just copy it." - or again "40minutes+ ago"!

 

[Phaedra]

GG, I fully understand their reasonings behind it. I just find it bloody annoying.

Andy, that's what makes it worse, you know they are sitting there looking at the same info! I've often been know to say... "whatever you see on the screen has not changed from 5 minutes ago, just copy it." - or again "40minutes+ ago"!

What is even worse is when they are looking at your notes on their computer, and without noticing the word CAVE and then the names of a medication / medications in BIG RED LETTERS at the top, "morphine and all opioids" being the first thing - and without asking you, or even telling you, slap a bdooly Fentanyl patch on the back of your shoulder.

 

[dragnlaw]

That's not just a petty vent, Phaedra - that's almost criminal.

 

[medtran49]

When Craig broke his leg, then had the psychotic break due to reaction to the amount of strong opioids he was getting and anesthesia and the trauma, and then had the stroke while he was in hospital, I and finally his hospitalist went round and round with the psych doctors because all they wanted to do was keep him doped up because he would act out when I wasn't around. I told them, as did the hospitalist, no more sedating/psych meds time and time again except close to bedtime, but they kept giving him a dose in the early a.m., anywhere from 3 to 5 a.m., then he'd sleep most of the day and couldn't participate in PT or anything else during the day, then he'd finally wake up late afternoon, early evening, and not want to go to sleep at night and start acting out after I went home, which is why they doped him up again. I was like do you people have no common sense? Of course he's not sleeping at night, you've got him sleeping all day with the drugs.

I took him off those psych drugs once he got home and his mental state mostly cleared up, though memory was still iffy, and he went right back to a normal sleep/wake pattern.

 

[dragnlaw]

Oh WOW, what an ordeal! Sounds like he got lucky by getting home!

 

[GotGarlic]

That's awful, medtran. I'm so sorry to hear that you and he went through all that.

 

[Phaedra]

That's not just a petty vent, Phaedra - that's almost criminal.

It actually could have been deadly, as I have a medical history of severe anaphylactic reactions to various medications, and also some unknown cross-reactions, and have two Epipens with me all the time. Opioids don't cause that type of reaction - the first time I was given morphine I hallucinated so badly that I was warned never to take any opioids again [not even codeine], as the hallucinations would get more severe each time, and believe me, that Fentanyl patch did.

Not that an Epipen would help with opioids, but the mere fact that it is all listed at the top of my notes, should have been enough.

 

[GotGarlic]

What is even worse is when they are looking at your notes on their computer, and without noticing the word CAVE and then the names of a medication / medications in BIG RED LETTERS at the top, "morphine and all opioids" being the first thing - and without asking you, or even telling you, slap a bdooly Fentanyl patch on the back of your shoulder.

What does CAVE mean?

 

[Phaedra]

@medtran49 - that's terrible.

 

[taxlady]

What does CAVE mean?

I looked it up. It means caution or attention, like "caveat emptor".

 

[Phaedra]

What does CAVE mean?

"CAVE" [pronounced "cavé" is a short form of the Latin "caveat", and is the term used in medical literature a warning to take into consideration before doing anything. As far as I know it is always written in block capitals and is, or should be, universally known in all languages.

When used in front of any medication it means "do not give this medication".

 

[medtran49]

It actually could have been deadly, as I have a medical history of severe anaphylactic reactions to various medications, and also some unknown cross-reactions, and have two Epipens with me all the time. Opioids don't cause that type of reaction - the first time I was given morphine I hallucinated so badly that I was warned never to take any opioids again [not even codeine], as the hallucinations would get more severe each time, and believe me, that Fentanyl patch did.

Not that an Epipen would help with opioids, but the mere fact that it is all listed at the top of my notes, should have been enough.

It's called Narcan for any opioid.

My adoptive mother also had hallucinations when given morphine when I was fairly young, but was able to take them in the early 2000's when she was diagnosed with cancer. I'm assuming something changed in the manufacturing process in the intervening 30+ years.

 

[Phaedra]

Fentanyl is Evil, with a capital "E". Following that episode, some five or six years ago, I had a Power of Attorney drawn up and a very good young friend of mine deals with all medical matters for me. I carry a card with the CAVE details, plus his contact details, with my ID card, and he's also on my records as being my next of kin - which he isn't, of course, but as he has my PoA it's basically the same thing. Luckily for me he's a volunteer first responder and paramedic, and well known by the emergency services.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

There's some d!@#-head in our neighborhood who obviously got himself a "Muscle Car" and keeps revving his engine and squealing down the main street of our Community.
I say "he", but who knows, it could be a gal who's playing out her teenage years

But whoever this person is really annoying at all different times of day AND night!

<edit - BAHAHAHA! Mussel/Muscle, yeah it's all the same right? >

 

[medtran49]

There's some d!@#-head in our neighborhood who obviously got himself a "Muscle Car" and keeps revving his engine and squealing down the main street of our Community.
I say "he", but who knows, it could be a gal who's playing out her teenage years

But whoever this person is really annoying at all different times of day AND night!

<edit - BAHAHAHA! Mussel/Muscle, yeah it's all the same right? >

Do you live in a HOA? They can be annoying, but can be quite useful in situations like this. Otherwise, try to see if there is a pattern, especially at night. Call the police and report possible street racing.

When we lived in the HOA before we downsized, we had a mid 20s male buy a Harley. Our neighborhood had 1 entrance/exit and the road was basically a huge rectangle with a couple of cul de sacs off the main road. He would ride the Harley around and around and around and around and around. Harleys are loud, as I'm sure you know, and a whole bunch of neighbors started complaining. A letter got sent mentioning potential fines for breaking noise rules and the incessant riding stopped.

 

[dragnlaw]

I feel for you Kgirl. I live not far from an intersection that must be used by almost 80% of the local traffic. Some dork loves his mufflers. Going to work, coming home. But it just so happens there is more than one and I can't pin them down. Intersection is over a ravine from me and although I can see the stop light I cannot even come close to seeing or identifying which car (or pick'em-up truck) it is.