What your doctor doesn't know could kill you

Boston Globe Magazine ^ | July 14, 2002 | Chris Gaither

[Cincinatus' Wife]

D r. Harold D. Cross, an occupational health and emergency physician in Beaufort, South Carolina, recalls few cases during his five decades of practicing medicine as bizarre as that of the flailing plumber. The 47-year-old man had begun to act strangely at work, waving his arms involuntarily for a minute at a time and acting dazed. A few times each night for three years, the plumber would begin thrashing about in bed, then get up and pace for a few moments before climbing back under the covers. The man had been seen by a neurologist, who diagnosed him with a sleep disorder and prescribed a drug. It didn't help, so he stopped taking it and turned to Cross.

[Mamzelle]

Oh, yes--it has the signs of a winner. This could be a way to make the diagnosis coherent, orderly, secure, fun, interesting-- helping the doc avoid the distractions that the noise and nurses and phone calls and everything else provides. I'd like to point out, though, that there are already many protocols in place for this kind of process--but not as comprehensive as this sounds to be. What Weed has done is to gather it together . Weed has not invented differential diagnosis.

[Mamzelle]

re:Weed makes some good points (but so do communists, at first). IMO, 75% of all doctors are greedy quacks and don't know what they're doing. The other 25% may know, but are too expensive and too hard to get an appointment wit))))

Is Weed in the 75% or 25%?

[Lady Jag]

Doctors have made me cynical. I had two doctors that almost managed to kill me and you can be guaranteed that if they had access to PKS they never would have bothered to use it. Sad state that Hipocratic oath is in these days.

[Tarheel]

BIG EGOS--Beware the humble surgeon.

After 20 + years in the medical profession I can attest that 'the humble surgeon' is a critter that just does not exist! LOL!

Just the thought of 'a humble surgeon' will have me chuckling for the remainder of the afternoon. In fact my sides are already aching--perhaps I should find 'a humble surgeon' to diagnose my problem.

The Tarheel

[Mariner]

How about we just run the patients through it that come back complaining that the treatment prescribed from the first visit didn't work?

[CWRWinger]

I have know idea at this time where Weed would go.

[Mamzelle]

I'll have to read the article again, I didn't pick up on which specialty Weed sprung from. But here's a quote that interests me...

Weed will tell you that he could teach a 15-year-old to use his software. He argues that medical schools, or "diploma mills," as he calls them, teach students to remember the answers to questions they never asked and memorize observations that they never made. That, he says, is the antithesis of scientific training.

My, all those grand rounds and rotating through various specialties and clinics were just a waste of time. All that was really needed was to be fifteen years old and in possession of Weed's program.

Wonder if Weed is a surgeon?

[technochick99]

How anyone could be against using more knowledge rather than less is beyond me. My own doctor has some sort of PDA she pulls out at times. I go to her for her experience, her knowledge, and bedside manner, but I do not expect her or any other doctor to know everything. Having suffered through more than one misdiagnosis in my life brings me to the conclusion that I would pay extra to go to a doctor using such technology in order to diagnose my ills.

[Mamzelle]

I think that might be PDR, which is available to "civilians" and at your local library, (--probably--) it is great to keep track of your meds, and is a good investment in keeping a lookout for side effects.

[technochick99]

The PDR on a PDA? Kinda' cool when you look at it like that!

[lucky7]

I was told yesterday by my cat's Vet. that Corp run animal hospital, vets must use the computer programs to arrive at the proper diagnoses, and to treat the animal with the proper mecication and correct dose. His reaction was the same as the medical community, and he poo poo it and said this is how these big corporation run there hospital's. This article only reinforces my thoughts on the use of a computer, but what do I know I am just a pop-corn eating human.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!!

[cva66snipe]

I think that might be PDR, which is available to "civilians" and at your local library, (--probably--) it is great to keep track of your meds, and is a good investment in keeping a lookout for side effects.

Side effects is indeed an important part of it. I saw 7 doctors miss a simple well known medication reaction in my wife as well as myself. I as well have reactions as she does and now I know why we share a common disorder. The SSRI's put her into a coma. When I confronted them with that possibility they became rather hostile till I pointed out it was their teaching hospital professor of Pharmacology who wrote the alert for Serotonin Syndrome. Medication was stopped as well as symptoms.

SSRI's are being given out like candy these days by doctors who fail to do some basic questioning of medical history. You do not give SSRI's {anti-depressants} to someone with a dysfunctional sensory system. Namely a dysfunctional Inner Ear.

As well you will never hear doctors anymore linking Inner Ear problems to General Anxiety or Depression. Did the problem just go away? I doubt it yet older and now retired doctors remember this connection and newer ones miss it or pass it off as impossible.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

He does seem to believe in his work!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

.....a great tool to help a Doc cover all the bases, so to speak.

Indeed.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

. I go to her for her experience, her knowledge, and bedside manner, but I do not expect her or any other doctor to know everything.

Most people would have more faith in someone who acknowledged not knowing it all before their fifth visit and/or fifth test.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

This article only reinforces my thoughts on the use of a computer, but what do I know I am just a pop-corn eating human.

With or without extra butter?

[ofMagog]

SOAPed all my patients.

[lucky7]

With extra butter and a cold glass of milk or frosty mug of beer!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

LOL! I had a biology teacher in college (she was way up in years) who felt a beer a day helped maintain good health.