Comments on: Does your Bias Cause Longer Wait Times?

By: Kate

Kate — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:21:00 +0000

For the record, I went to Casualty in the UK with “lower back pain” and was seen immediately.

Why? Possibly because I am a trapeze artist and had injured myself doing a dismount. The docs were fascinated - but then all the other patients were little old ladies with bunions (not kidding - I overheard the lady in the next cubicle).

I would hope that someone with a fracture or dislocation would be seen before someone who is dizzy or constipated. That seems like correct triage to me, not bias.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:33:21 +0000

Is this why, when I went to the ER for a severe migraine accompanied by facial numbness, they let me wait for 6 hours until I decided I would rather die in bed than in that stinky waiting room? It takes one shot and ten minutes to fix! And I ALWAYS decline always-offered the narcotics, lol.

By: Chill

Chill — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:00:51 +0000

Hate:
weak and dizzy
vag bleeders
total body dolor

Enjoy:
fractures/dislocations (i enjoy pulling even if it is time consuming)
med refills (seriously easy)
bad traumas

By: Mid-Atlantic MD

Mid-Atlantic MD — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 16:23:47 +0000

Don’t mind dizzy as much anymore. Do basic EKG, labs if need be, exam, IVF—–and most youngs ones go home. Most older ones get admitted. Very easy to justify. Not as cost-effective as I once used to be, but in today’s med-legal climate have no choice and have caught a lot of sneaky pathology that way.

Male stones are nice. Don’t mind the vag bleeders. Either prego or not. Either bleeding out or not. Either IUP or ectopic or threatened Ab. Then done—dispo.

By: Ubergeek

Ubergeek — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:13:09 +0000

I agree with the favorite: kidney stones. Easy to diagnose, happy once they get toradol or dilaudid.

Most hated: vag bleeders. I hate doing the pelvics. There is a reason why I didn’t go into Ob/Gyn, and that’s one of them.

By: Does your Bias Cause Longer Wait Times? « The ACUTE CARE Blog: Non-Urban Emergency Medicine

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:43:23 +0000

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By: Braden

Braden — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 07:14:04 +0000

I have to agree with Lou. As an RN, the kidney stoneurs can be tough for the first 10 minutes, but once you get that Dilaudid on board, they are your best friend and usually are pretty straightforward.

And interestingly, I find surprisingly few drug-seekers-by-renal-calculi.

By: Lou

Lou — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:25:56 +0000

For the sheer satisfaction I get in taking care of them, my favorite patient/condition is the male with acute kidney stones.

By: ERP

ERP — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:21:32 +0000

The thing is Matt that I am talking about the “chief complaint” - ie what the RN writes on triage. If the patient said “lightheadedness” that would be different - most doc’s like that complaint better since it is more likely due to dehydration or hypotension. More straightforward. Dizzy is so nonspecific as to be beyond frurstration most of the time. Also, for whatever reason, many people with psych problems tend to say that hey get “dizzy”.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:00:16 +0000

If you distinguish between “dizziness” and “vertigo,” and more than 20% of your vertigo patients are being diagnosed as psych problems, you are missing stuff.

By: ERP

ERP — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:32:35 +0000

I am sure - if we are in a line waiting to complain about our cable bill I am sure we will be growing roots.

By: judycolby

judycolby — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:36:03 +0000

Just curious if biased doctors ever get impatient waiting in a line while feeling good.