"So do you have any medical problems of any sort?"
No
"So...you're not diabetic , epileptic or asthmatic ?"
No
"No heart problems or blood-pressure problems?"
No
"Any thyroid , liver or kidney problems?"
No
"Good...so do you take any medicines of any sort,-on a daily basis-,for any reason , medical or otherwise ?"
No
"Excellent...any allergies to any medicines ? Or anything else for that matter?"
No
"Good...any surgery in the past 10 years? Of any sort?"
No
"Excellent then...so...to recap...you have no medical problems of any sort and you don't take any medication of any sort on a daily basis ? And you have no allergies ? And you've had no surgery in the past 10 years?"
Yes
Well...I suppose...I haven't taken the citalopram this week...but that's because I haven't had time to pick up the new prescription
"Okaaaay...just out of interest...why haven't you been able to pick up the script ?"
Well...I've got a very busy job...I'm a cleaner you know!!
"Right...so why do you take the citalopram?"
Well my doctor wanted to put me on HRT...but he said that the citalopram would be better...
"Did he tell you that its an anti-depressant ?"
No...but... I have felt a little down since the colostomy was done...? And I think he said it would help with the blood pressure as well...
"Right...the colostomy...and when was that done then ?"
Last year...I was really sick...I had a reaction to the antibiotics as well afterwards ...
*sigh*
"Ma'am...would you like to 'phone a friend' at this stage...because...honestly...I only speak 4 languages...and we don't seem to share one?"
Gaaahhhh!! What is it about patients who can't answer a simple question? I learned very early in my ENP training to never write down 'no past medical history' until I had got a drug list, even that as you have just demonstrated is no guarantee. My other favourite is the patient who has "never hurt that hand before" but shows an old # on X-Ray.
ReplyDelete