while I'm here.........

I was reading on Scapel or Sword's blog article, Admittophiliacs about reasons people give to be admitted and it brought this to mind. I call it the While I'm here, fix everything wrong with me that's been wrong since the day I was born syndrome.

I hear it during the initial history and assessments primarily. The patient is here for COPD exacerbation and becomes insistent (during bipap face breaks)... while I'm here, I need somebody to look at my shoulder. What's wrong with your shoulder? It hurts so bad, I can't hardly use my arm. I ask, How long has it been hurting you......oh a couple of years. My doctor said it was arthritis, but I don't think it is. It hurts so bad. Also, I've had this rash on my leg.....

Most of the time it's the family insisting we get a specialist in and do something NOW about Grandpa's gnarly toenails, funky atheletes foot problem (he's CHF & looks like a puffer fish), or brother's rotten teeth (while we are busy trying to keep brother from going into full blown DTs). Many times I get these requests in the middle of the night and when I enquire as to when the problem began, it goes waaaaaaaay back. But it's an emergency right now and we want something done right now about it. Ok sure, I'll pass that information on to your doctor ......tomorrow. I'm sure he will get right on it.