The case of Libby Zion was straightforward. She did not tell the attending physician she had been taking drugs. As Dr. House would say...the first rule of medicine is that the patient always lies.
Libby's father had the power of the press behind him and that's the only reason it became a huge story. He did not want to face the fact his daughter was not the perfect little girl he thought she was. And that's the truth.
You got that right.
Medical Mantra: Look for the lie.
"Libby's father had the power of the press behind him and that's the only reason it became a huge story. He did not want to face the fact his daughter was not the perfect little girl he thought she was. And that's the truth."
As I understand this story, the cause of death seems to be complications of an interaction between Libby Zion's legally prescribed antidepressant Nardil and the narcotic painkiller Demerol that was given to her at the hospital. I see no mention of the ingestion of any other drugs. If she was asked, I don't know why this young woman did not tell the doctor at the hospital that she was taking Nardil. Maybe she wasn't thinking straight due to her illness and fever, or maybe she was taking more than the prescribed dosage and didn't want to admit it. The thrust of the article seems to be that doctors need to be made more aware of the manifestations of this syndrome. Of course, if they are conscious and cognizant, the patient has to do his part by being honest with the doctor.