Had to take my wife to the ER Saturday. She had some slurred speech and was having trouble grasping with her right hand. It turned out to be a TIA and we are taking all the necessary steps; follow up with our GP, first day of PT was today and appointment with a neurologist. She's already had a cat scan. She is doing well though somewhat fatigued. She's getting lots of Hallmark time right now.
The interesting thing is how ER staff interpret what you tell them. It almost seemed as if they interpreted what they wanted to hear, not what I said. I cannot complain about the compassion and care she received. They treated her very well. However I had to interrupt several times in ER to clarify what her symptoms were. Because of her dementia, I have to go on all her appointments and hospital trips to answer medical/meds questions.
For instance, I told them she had slightly slurred speech, they in turn tell the doctor her speech was unintelligible. I had to correct that three times. Speech was never unintelligible, just slightly slurred. I tell them she has some weakness in her right hand and difficulty grasping a pen or eating utensil, they tell the doctor she has loss of function in right arm. Neurologist(one not thought well of locally) sees her and recommends two dementia drugs. I tell him she has already tried both and couldn't tolerate the side effects. He still recommends that in the notes to our GP, who is aware of the issue with both meds.
I realize a stroke assessment is super serious and we are not taking this lightly, but that ER visit was an eye opener. Makes me wonder why they repeatedly passed on inaccurate information. Any ER staff here that can shed some light? Seems like they'd want to pass on the most accurate information possible.
So they can bill your insurance for more expensive tests, most likely.
Hope your wife is feeling better.
My trip and experience with the ER a week or so ago I had to keep telling them, NO, no chest pains, and NO, I’m not having a heart attack. It was just kidney stones.
For one, some things are simply going to be misunderstood, the accuracy lost between the game of “telephone” and also layperson to jargon and back translations. Two, maybe they just aren’t that good. Not everyone can be #1. In all likelihood, remote America, i’d wager c.) all of the above
Sounds like they got it right in the end? Regret to hear of your wife's troubles and am sure it was stressful on both of you in the ER, no doubt. Don’t wish it on anyone.
Local hospitals are severely understaffed clinical and support positions remain unfilled.
Good on you sir for looking after your wife as she struggles with dementia. That's a heavy load even when the health care system is running smoothly. I hope you have a good local support system. "Care for the care taker" is... important.
Most patients are clueless.
Some doctors are too.
Makes for a clusterfork
Mart, I wish your wife the very best. My wife suffered from Alzheimer's dementia, later suffered a stroke and did not recover after seven days in the hospital. I know what you mean about words not being conveyed from you to nurses to doctors. Hope things improve for her and you.
L.W.
Patients that know whats going on are treated same as those that are clueless from my experience.
With my recent visit and a couple for.my daughter.
3 diff docs, not a damn one would listen
Good on you for restating your case/ details.
I guess having been an EMT makes me understand how critical it is to take and give medical information accurately.
Good that she had an advocate. No answers to your questions.
Prayers out for your wife and I hope she is feeling better. Was she taken to Mat-Su Regional?
Yes. Matsu Regional. We’ve always had good treatment there and been pleased with the care. Just this time there seemed to be a break down in interpreting the information I was giving them. Of course they were going full on stroke response at first so I can understand heightened anxiety on the part of the staff.
Sometimes a nurse knows a doctor and knows what they need to say to get the doctor to pay attention and do what they should. Some times things are overstated because that doctor may have a history of downplaying things. Sometimes, the nurse is the patients only advocate.
Not saying that's the case here, but every doc is different and nurses do learn what it takes to get what they think the patient needs. That may seem backward, but the nurse spends far more time with the patient than the doctor does. The way healthcare works, you need a great nurse who knows what to tell the doc to get you the care you need.
Lots of people in those professions like to use canned phrases instead of the English language.
They think it makes them sound more professional because nobody has told them they sound like fugking morons.
Recent veterans, LEOs, and firemen can be just as bad if not worse.
There were THREE great and respected professions during the Roman Empire...
- Engineers/Builders/Makers of Rome
- Lawyers/Politicians/Senators/Establishers of well reasoned Laws
- Medical Healers
---------------------------------------
In 2021, the only profession we trust anymore are the... fugging Lawyers/Politicians/Senators.
Damn shame.
With CVA/TIA onset of symptoms is everything. There is a narrow window where strong clot busters, TPA, can be “safely” administered to clear a possible occlusion. Slurred speech vs unintelligible isn’t really what matters, it’s when her last known normal was. 4 hours is all one has to be eligible for TPA.
You said your wife had a CT of the brain? That’s useful for ruling out mass, bleed and old strokes but useless for picking up the subtle sign of new stroke. Our work up always includes a MRI which is conclusive, echocardiogram and a carotid ultrasound.
The thought is to look at the pump, the plumbing and the brain to see how we got here.
I assume your wife was placed on aspirin and a statin?
Yeah they have their own verbiage.
Maybe the nurse was from the east coast.
Had to take my wife to the ER Saturday. She had some slurred speech and was having trouble grasping with her right hand. It turned out to be a TIA and we are taking all the necessary steps; follow up with our GP, first day of PT was today and appointment with a neurologist. She's already had a cat scan. She is doing well though somewhat fatigued. She's getting lots of Hallmark time right now.
The interesting thing is how ER staff interpret what you tell them. It almost seemed as if they interpreted what they wanted to hear, not what I said. I cannot complain about the compassion and care she received. They treated her very well. However I had to interrupt several times in ER to clarify what her symptoms were. Because of her dementia, I have to go on all her appointments and hospital trips to answer medical/meds questions.
For instance, I told them she had slightly slurred speech, they in turn tell the doctor her speech was unintelligible. I had to correct that three times. Speech was never unintelligible, just slightly slurred. I tell them she has some weakness in her right hand and difficulty grasping a pen or eating utensil, they tell the doctor she has loss of function in right arm. Neurologist(one not thought well of locally) sees her and recommends two dementia drugs. I tell him she has already tried both and couldn't tolerate the side effects. He still recommends that in the notes to our GP, who is aware of the issue with both meds.
I realize a stroke assessment is super serious and we are not taking this lightly, but that ER visit was an eye opener. Makes me wonder why they repeatedly passed on inaccurate information. Any ER staff here that can shed some light? Seems like they'd want to pass on the most accurate information possible.
Yes. Very frustrating. A year ago when I had reason to be in the hospital I asked one doctor why I had to give the history for the fifth or sixth time. He told me one thing (that I had said in the history each time and was reported wrongly) and every one of the other histories had reported it wrong, and all the same way. He said "That's why you've been asked again".
The electronic medical records only make it worse.
Same thing in most doctor's office visit.You go to great lengths to tell the nurse what the problem is.She goes out and gives the doctor a Reader Digest version. The doctor comes into treat you and 50% of the time it isn't what is wrong with you
With CVA/TIA onset of symptoms is everything. There is a narrow window where strong clot busters, TPA, can be “safely” administered to clear a possible occlusion. Slurred speech vs unintelligible isn’t really what matters, it’s when her last known normal was. 4 hours is all one has to be eligible for TPA.
You said your wife had a CT of the brain? That’s useful for ruling out mass, bleed and old strokes but useless for picking up the subtle sign of new stroke. Our work up always includes a MRI which is conclusive, echocardiogram and a carotid ultrasound.
The thought is to look at the pump, the plumbing and the brain to see how we got here.
I assume your wife was placed on aspirin and a statin?
MRI wasn’t done because of her pacemaker. She is on low dose aspirin and a statin. Ultrasound done of her heart. Not sure on the carotid ultrasound. She doesn’t remember if it was done after they took her to her room. I wasn’t allowed beyond ER. That wasn’t in the discharge notes. Waiting to hear back from the doc to get that question answered.
Prayers for your wife.
Nurse asked me how much alcohol I drink, I say average one beer a day (Gods truth). I see the online chart later she put down "heavy drinker".
Didn't try to correct it, I may be headed toward the heavy drinker status anyway with all the depressingly stupid chit I see every day.
Mart they could have done a CT angio of the head and neck which would of made the carotid US redundant. Yeah a pacer would of made the MRI a no go.