Drugs are bad. Don't try them!

[treski]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I think it's appalling, an abomination, malpractice, and every other fancy scary word out there... In your situation, that the dr administered unneccessary drugs, which tax every system in your body with all the chemicals & toxins, simply for his own convenience. In *my* situation, a neurologist refused to wait for my presence to perform his exam & patient hx while my DH was on morophine, anti-vomiting drugs (you all know how loopy they make you) and migraine meds all at the same time.

We consulted a lawyer about suing the hospital my DH was admitted to a hospital last Oct. They triaged him for possible stroke or anyeurism, total right-side weakness, disorientation, uncontrolled vomiting, dizziness so extreme he couldn't stand up straight... I was told he was being admitted for more testing & there would be about 3 hrs before the neurologist came to see him... I left to make arrangements for DD, with strict instructions for the nurse to either wait for me to get back for the neuro consult, OR call me (cell # provided) OR DH's sister (RN, cell # also provided) to give input on hx, symptoms, etc since DH was so loopy he couldn't talk straight.

The neurologist ignored the request, interviewed a seriously incapacitated patient (that in itself should be malpractice, allowing a drugged-up guy to be his own advocate when you have already been told he is not communicating clearly and he has a lucid advocate available) and after 5 minutes, diagnosed DH with..... "COMPLEX MIGRAINE." That's right folks.. a migraine that had lasted THREE WEEKS... did not respond to three different types of IV migraine medicine over a 12-hr period... caused 10 lbs weight loss... weakened his entire right side... caused the right side of his face & tongue to be completely numb -- even poked a needle in his tongue to demonstrate. Once I read the notes on his visit, it was noted that DH was unintelligible most of the interview... denied having any prior surgical history (he's had surgery 4 times in his life)... denied having a history of migraines & vertigo (had the dx for 3 yrs at that point!)...

Then even after I called & screamed righteously about the inaccuracies in his file, and asked to speak to the neuro, and begged -- literally -- for an MRI with contrast to be done... and his sister a RN, also called & begged for an MRI with contrast to be done, and the "complex migraine" dx to be thrown out... the neuro refused, and DH was discharged.

Oh, that "complex migraine"?? Two and a half months later, he was finally given a MRI with contrast... and the "migraine" turned out to be a golf-ball sized brain tumor compressing his brain stem. And the CT scan that he had done in the hospital, that the neuro "reviewed" to come to his "migraine" conclusion didn't show the tumor glowing, but it DID show his brain stem compressed nearly into an "O" shape from the tumor....

So pizza, I'm right there with you. The administration of shut-him-up drugs is sickening, and the executive decisions made by doctors who just want to get back to the ball game (in your case, giving you drugs to get you out of the way, in my case ignoring the patient's incapacitation & not calling his advocate -- and YES my POA had already been given to the hospital staff) should really be addressed, BIG TIME.

UGH IT makes me sick every time I read this stuff! It's rampant! Pizza, I'd file a formal complaint. That's taking risk with the patient, you should NEVER have toxins in your body unless there is a clear need for them!

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Oh my gosh!  This is the scariest post I've seen here.  I'm sorry this happened to you, but thanks for sharing ... good to know...

[Anonymous]

New info. Turns out they drugged me lots of times to prevent me from waking up. I even started waking up towards the end but was too weak to open my eyes. I knew what was happening, could not talk, could not move but started to get feeling back to know what they were doing to me. Then click I went out again. You know something wrong was going on if they were afraid of me waking up because they know I would have thrown a FIT that I was being put out and would have ripped out my IV to prevent further drugging. I was clearly put out against my will and kept out. WHY? I thought it was just a reaction at first to an initial overdose. Totally intentional as it was repeated over and over to keep me under. Wow right! Scary stuff! No anesthesiologist present either.... It was voluntary testing and at any time they could have stopped and sent me home. It wasn't surgery or anything like that. This is so messed up. The IV line was in case of emergency if something went wrong so they could administer drugs quickly whether it be an allergic reaction, heart problem ect... Drugging me was not part of the deal. I'm going to get more answers.

Message Edited by ilovepizza on 10-30-2008 02:37 AM

[Anonymous]

Whoa! No writen concent for sedation. It just gets better. The papers I signed were for insurance and permission to run the exam. This gets more frustrating.

No permission in writing.

No verbal permission.

Confirmation before that I would not be drugged both by the Doc and nurse.

And repeated verbals (LOTS OF VERBALS) NO NO NO.

So how does this happen and why? 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Apparently in my case it doesn't matter if you verbally say no.

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I guess it doesn't matter in my case if you don't sign consent either.

Message Edited by ilovepizza on 10-30-2008 03:55 AM

[haulingthescoreup]

Be sure to also check the informed consent that you signed for the procedure itself. The sedation consent is often on that form for procedures that don't require anesthesia, only sedation by the physician, such as with endoscopies. You might have signed that some days earlier, at the physician's office, when the decision was made to do the testing.

[Anonymous]

I take copies of everything all the time. I signed a paper that said "General Consent". This paper  said "Consent to"  and "and or procedure deemed necessary". That was about it. That can't be a blank ticket to do what ever?

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I take copies of everything all the time. I signed a paper that said "General Consent". This paper said "Consent to" and "and or procedure deemed necessary". That was about it. That can't be a blank ticket to do what ever?

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I'm no nurse or doctor, but the last time I asked a doctor about that (when I was signing it) they pretty said it was.

I WAS reassured at the time that they would only do something if they REALLY felt that I needed it. :/

I take copies of everything, too. I figure its YOUR health, YOUR siggie and YOUR money, YOU need it, YOU signed for it and YOU bought it.

(Oh, and I'm extremely OCD, too, if that matters)

[Anonymous]

Lawsamercy, Ivy!! I'm genuinely in awe of you -- how you managed to keep yourself from shoving a stethoscope up that neuro's arse (sideways), I really don't know. And yannow .... if I sat on the jury, I'd not have convicted you!!!

Darlin', you tell that sweet hubby of yours that he is SO lucky to have you. You're a true Steel Magnolia -- outwardly sweet, but with a spine and spirit of steel!! Good-frickin-for-you!!!!!!

(((((Hugs))))))

[haulingthescoreup]

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ilovepizza wrote:

I take copies of everything all the time. I signed a paper that said "General Consent". This paper  said "Consent to"  and "and or procedure deemed necessary". That was about it. That can't be a blank ticket to do what ever?

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That sounds like a general consent for the hospital's sake, allowing them to give you necessary care while you were there.

You should have had an informed consent that outlined why the procedure was being done, any alternatives, what would happen if you didn't have it all, possible negative outcomes. Here's the list from the Joint Commission certification standards for ambulatory surgery centers, but it's pretty much the same everywhere:

JCAHO accred standards for AMC's

RI.2.40

B3. A complete informed consent process includes a discussion of the following elements:*
• The nature of the proposed services, medications, interventions, or procedures
• Potential benefits, risks, or side effects, including potential problems that might
occur during recuperation
• The likelihood of achieving goals
• Reasonable alternatives
• The relevant risks, benefits, and side effects related to alternatives, including the
possible results of not receiving services
• When indicated, any limitations on the confidentiality of information learned
from or about the patient
* Documentation of the items listed in EP3 may be in a form, progress notes, ore elsewhere in the record.

Those of us who have had the thrill of reviewing standardized documentation for Joint Commission compliance know how much crud there is out there.

[Anonymous]

Everyone needs to be careful nowadays....

I went in for a CT with contrast (when my veins are shot and the 3rd prodding found a viable vein) to get called the next day and be told they took the wrong scans......I went back the next day and the vein they found blew about 2/3 way through the injection.

The pain was excruciating!....I may need to go back if the slices don't show everything my doctor is looking for.

How hard is it to read the full order and wishes of the patient? I have to explain each time my common responses to medical treatments to speed up their process and avoid unnecessary pain.

Message Edited by 1111mel on 10-30-2008 10:28 PM