Emergency Room Error: Could Have Lost My Life 9/29/2014

I was take to hospital not too long ago, I would never call the ambulance, in fact I don't even have a doctor (gp)... But one day I was in such pain, like I have never felt in my life!

My ex partner calls the ambulance, they ask what kind of pain is it? I'm in the bath at this point writhing in agony couldn't even think straight it was so bad, I say I dunno just really bad pain can you just send someone please, I'm screaming out partly because of the pain and partly cos of this questioning... They threaten to call the police... lol

They come and eventually get me gas and air... I'm sick before this due to the pain I guess, that's how bad it was... So the gas and air makes it a little better, enough that I can walk to the ambulance...

Get to the a&e the nurse says you'll not be having that in here! Meaning the gas and air... You'll go out to the waiting room and wait like everyone else, you'll have about a 4 hour wait... So I say well what was the point of me coming here then... She says you can go if you like! lol Nice...

So I am taken to the waiting room with nothing, no pain relief, the gas and air wares off quick and the excrusiating pain returns... In the end I have to get on the floor and roll around to get some relief infront of everyone. Moving my legs from side to side...

Eventually someone sees me and helps me... They give me morphine and that takes the pain down about half way. Never felt anything like it! Turns out I was passing a kidney stone. Said to be worse than childbirth lol...

I tell my ex partners dad he works at a hospital, he says at his they would have stepped over me and was laughing but he was serious... Says they do it all the time... I said what what if it were you? Oh I'd get seen right away, perk of the job...

This is the wonderful NHS...

Sorry that this kind of thing happens so often but glad their are people like you willing to go all the way with it and give them whatfor! Good stuff. Best of luck to you.

Don't get me started ... seriously ...

I was in full (undiagnosed) autoimmune flare and went to 12 doctors before an intern finally decided to check for autoimmune and the blood work came back for it as positive. The previous 11 doctors mostly said it was all in my head and I was causing my own distress. Two misdiagnosed me and put me on the wrong drugs, all of which I had reactions to that made the situation worse. (Ancobon being one of them .. seriously evil drug).

And when I had my kidney stone!! Four hours in the ER (in such pain I wished I would die) before a doctor showed up and gave me a shot that helped.

Oh ... and primary care physicians ... seems all they want to do is give out cholesterol meds and happy pills.

I have a strong distrust of doctors.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Yup... Hell when I had that kidney stone I was moving my legs from side to side, like i was in the birthing position XD... The nurse in the er said, whats this leg moving thing, pointing at me like I'm a loon! Does it help does it?

Well after I looked up the symtoms of kindney stones and low and behold restlessness and leg moving were on there! But she looked disgusted at me... Can't for the life of me think why. I'm just glad I got something after maybe 2 hours. 4 hours of that I can see why you wanted to die! Even with morphine though it was still bad as hell. Never want to feel that again, dang!

originally posted by: Meee32
Never want to feel that again, dang!

It was four hours before I got a drug that helped. It was a 4 mm kidney stone. Took 2 days to pass it. I swear, I'd rather die then go through that again. Seriously ...

a reply to: FlyersFan

I don't know the size of mine as they never saw it, they just saw like a line in the urinary tract on the side I was complaining about... Man it felt like I had been kicked in the nuts really hard... That deep pain you get... Making you wait 4 hours is just sick in my opinion! I think some of them like to see people in pain, I can't think of any other reason for it... They could have atleast gave you some gas and air for a bit till they diagnosed you...

Mind they gave me morphine before a diagnosis so even that seems fine.

Mine lasted only 8 hours thank god! But hell no, I pray (not even religious lol) to never have that again! They said I didn't have any more in there so that's something. But now I have saliva gland stones XD... They don't hurt too bad though lol

a reply to: FlyersFan

Why do so many doctors tell people with undisguised autoimmune diseases it's "in your head." That makes me so mad!!! I heard that many times too. You would think when your seeing the third opinion they would start thinking outside of the box.

It's frightening to think of all the people who have died from and tried seeking help for their undiagnosed autoimmune diseases. That would make us the lucky ones, and we've been to hell and back.

I have a strong distrust of doctors.

Me too, FF! Me too! There are really only 2 doctors I trust and they're outside of my insurance plan. My husband and I decided to go ahead and pay out of pocket because everyone else seems to be unable to help.

The new electronic health records doesn't seem to be helping either...

a reply to: Jennyfrenzy

The doctor then told me if I was concerned I could go to the local urgent care clinic and they could admit me to the hospital. Again, I was confused and didn't understand why the ER couldn't admit me and I would need to be seen at a low income clinic. My husband was never called, as he should have been due to my hallucinations and confusion as he's my emergency contact. I was not in a state of mind to make that decision as a physician should have known. The next day I called the hospital to voice my concerns about the quality of care and HIPPA violations. My call was not returned. I called the next day, again no call. So I went to the hospital to talk to someone about it. I was told the doctor thought I should have been admitted but I had told him "I want to go home and go to sleep." And I had told him that after I was told "if you're worried about it go to the clinic and they can admit you. I explained to the admin that my husband should have been called as I was suffering from delirium from low potassium and didn't understand why the ER couldn't admit me to their own hospital. My husband should have been called to make the decision about me being admitted, not a patient suffering from confusion with auditory and visual hallucinations.

Jennyfrenzy, S&F for your thread.

I am sorry to hear of all the problems you've had getting medical help, there nothing worse than someone treating you like a liar. Worse yet when they put words in your mouth and turn your story around like that.

I know that they often don't like me staying with Iwinder (he has severe hearing loss) but he doesn't always hear their questions clearly and may give the wrong response. The patient is at the mercy of these professionals and trusts they have your best interests in mind. Sad to realize that is not always the case.

Please keep us informed on how this all comes out.

Namaste,
YogaGinns

a reply to: YogaGinns

Thank you so much for your kind words, both you and Iwinder are amazing people! The support I have received from the members of ATS has helped me get through this extremely emotional time.

I know that they often don't like me staying with Iwinder (he has severe hearing loss) but he doesn't always hear their questions clearly and may give the wrong response. The patient is at the mercy of these professionals and trusts they have your best interests in mind. Sad to realize that is not always the case.

Please keep us informed on how this all comes out.

Namaste,
YogaGinns

Thats so frustrating, you would think the doctors would want you there, just in case an emergency decision had to be made and Iwinder wasn't able to hear them clearly. Regardless if it's inconvenient for the hospital, it's the best thing for him. Plus having your best friend/spouse by your side when your in the hospital is always comforting. I feel there should always be a visiting rule exception made for spouses and parents.

Iwinder and I have been through a lot of the same things, different circumstances but so many similarities at the core of our stories. His story is so inspiring!

ATS couples are so awesome, I wish my husband would join!!

I'll keep you two posted

Your friend,

Jenny

originally posted by: Jennyfrenzy
a reply to: Char-Lee

That was my fear too and I expressed my fear of resentments to the admin. Unfortunately the next closest hospital in about 30 minutes away and we have a 1961 Lincoln Continental that is having issues. There was no other choice at the time.

originally posted by: Jennyfrenzy
a reply to: ladyinwaiting

JFK did have it and had to lie to the American people about it otherwise he may have never been elected president. I think his sister Eunice had it too, she has the dark/tan skin tone that comes along with Addison's.

Addison's disease seems to run in families, my paternal aunt has it too.

Do you realize the super-eerie coincidence of mentioning the 1961 Lincoln Continental between the two mentions of JFK ?

That immediately jumped out at me as really freaky!

a reply to: 8675309jenny

It's the same year, just not black or a convertible. There aren't that many 61's left on the road, it's too bad because they're beautiful cars.

First, I hope you are OK. Thank god that your husband is a strong advocate! And remember the words "appeal discharge" in the future.

Lemme guess... the hospital starts with the big letter K? (I can't write it out for professional reasons; We are forbidden by HR "compliance".)

Yup, lay-offs all around. This is only the tip of it...

There's a big clash/strike about to happen across California between many health orgs and nurses, and this is one of the big concerns regarding patient care and "best practices". They are getting rid of hospital support staff and putting the workload (and significantly changed workflow) onto RNs, which compromises pt care.

I'll tell ya a secret... These companies don't like being in the hospital business. It's too expensive (ie-not lucrative enough) and unpredictable compared to maintenance/non-emergency medicine (clinical side). They have different budgets. So every 7-10 yrs or so the staff get the big shake-up, at pt's expense. This round of shake-ups will noticeably affect pt care in a huge way. It already is. It's probably going to get a lot worse.

You should go to the CNA website to see what's going on behind the scenes.

a reply to: Flux8

First, I hope you are OK. Thank god that your husband is a strong advocate! And remember the words "appeal discharge" in the future.

Thank you so much! I'm feeling worlds better than I was this time last week. I'll keep the phrase "appeal discharge" in mind for future visits.

It wasn't the big K hospital. I've heard so many horror stories about them but I've always had the best luck there. They saved my life because of all their training. A doctor in their ER diagnosed me with Addison's Disease within 3-4 hours of me registering. I had been actively seeking help for an entire year before (then undiagnosed Addison's) and was told I had "an ulcer" or "it's in my head" or "it's anorexia" by multiple other doctors outside the K. I love that K place and have decided to pay out of pocket to see them.

The healthcare system is going downhill real fast. Lately is seems like nurses are always on strike and nurses are the heart and soul of the hospital, IMO. It's so sad...

a reply to: Jennyfrenzy

Last November hubby was having chest pains and we had an appointment that day we went in and the heart doctor said you are a walking time bomb sent us amost 100 miles to hospital that this doctor works at.

Long story short they did x rays on his head and were to do a cath the next morning. I couldn't get there car trouble. As soon as I got myself back home I was on the phone. He has all kinds of insurance. The hospital put him in a cab and gave him money for food and sent him to the Holiday inn, I kid you not. We found a cab that only charged us about 100.00 to bring him home. If I had been there I would have been a HOT MESS to deal with.

By chance we were in Atlanta the next few days and his chest pains were worst. I drove him to Peidmont Hospitals (they are a chain) Next thing we know they are doing open heart surgery on him, he survived the widow maker.

Two weeks ago my elderly dad took my mama to the hospital she was talking crazy and lost motor controls they sent her home. I am sure she had a Mimi stroke, she is better now.

Anyway something is going on in these E R,s that we don't know.

Some advice always call an alabance, have someone with you that can keep a cool head, make friends with nurses ask about there family, anything that is common. Thank them all the time. Become there friend so they will remember you. Ask questions and play dumb. If all is still not well go over there head.

At one hospital I have the nurses coming by to hide from work and just to chit chat and they gave me the code for there floor food. Our family doctor I have his phone number and he will call me back within 30 minutes.

WORK THE SYSTEM.

a reply to: Jennyfrenzy

Thing is, it can be very difficult to figure out why things break down in the ER - my kid is medical resident, and just did a stint in the ER, and she had some terribly frustrating stories to tell.

I probably don't want to get into any details, here, but very little was done to "save money" - in fact, they often over-test, running tests that aren't indicated, but they're afraid of being sued should something go wrong or they "miss" something.

At her (urban) hospital, the ED is usually filled with drug-seekers and hypochondriacs - probably 80% of them don't belong in the ED - and many of the staff are cynical and rather burned-out.

And she also had some hair-pulling stories about trying to get patients admitted to other wards, like ICU and Medicine; in many hospitals, the relationship between the ED and other services can be completely toxic, which can impact patient care. Again, not going into details, but some bad stories here - just know that it's not always the ED's fault - the notion that you they suggested you go to an UC to get admitted rather than admitted directly from the ED suggests something's not right.

What I'd recommend is that your specialist be kept apprised of your condition, one who has admitting privileges at your hospital, and someone who will advocate for you. Failing that, your family doctor should be kept aware. In your case, you really need to have an Endocrinologist.

If you ever need to go to the ER, contact, or have someone contact that doctor. Those in the ED will likely take you more seriously if another doctor calls to check up on you, or, better yet, appears in person. This helps get past the whole (well-earned) skepticism they usually have about ER patients, that they're simply there for drugs or attention, and can also provide expert guidance to whoever's looking after you. And you may not always be the proper condition to explain your history to the attending - and don't trust that the ED has your treatment records available to them.

Whatever happens as a result of your complaint this time, I can't say (I don't really see the HIPPA violation) - but for next time, have a plan - talk it through with your Endocrinologist.

a reply to: judydawg

What a nightmare, 100 miles away and then to be sent to a Holiday Inn with chest pains! Unbelievable!! I'm so glad everything's worked out and he was able to get heart surgery ASAP! Sorry to hear about your mom too, thank goodness she's doing better too.

Thanks for the advice! I'll be calling the ambulance from now on, unless I need stitches or something minor like that. My husband is friends with a nurse that works in the ER, I wasn't placed in his section but he checked on my periodically, more than my nurse did. The following day I called the thank you line to make sure the hospital knows that he is an excellent nurse who treats patients with dignity and compassion. They are very lucky to have him working for them, I seriously can't sing his praises enough.

It's just so frustrating because I had been in the ER multiple times in the previous days and they were well aware with how many steroids I had been taking. A blood test has to be done because of electrolytes, I know that and I'm no doc or nurse. I almost died from the same thing in 2003, actually I did and had to be resuscitated by defibrillator.

It was also very embarrassing when the nurse said in front of an ER filled with strangers in a very loud voice that "they treat me for these fits all the time." To me it felt as if she was insinuating I was having a mental breakdown and wasn't shy about saying it and it felt like she wanted everyone in the room to hear that. They have a responsibility to ensure our medical information is kept confidential and her actions and words were very public.

My endocrinologist (she treats the Addison's) doesn't have admitting privileges in that hospital. There are no endocrinologists in my area that take my insurance, at all. The closest one is in San Francisco at UCSF, that's an hour from my house on a good day, with traffic it could take up to 3 hours to get there. That's part of the problem, no specialists near me take my insurance that I was automatically assigned to "California (non)Care gave us no other options at all. That's why we have decided to pay out of pocket to see the endocrinologist. I was just assigned to a new PCP and they're in town, thankfully.

It was a nightmare but I'm alive, that's what really matters. I've been filing complaints anywhere and everywhere I can to make sure that what happened to me does not happen to someone else, in that hospital anyway. Would they push out my grandmother, elderly neighbor or friend who is in need of medical care because they're busy? I could not live with myself if I didn't speak up about what happened and someone else suffered through what I did.

a reply to: squittles

At her (urban) hospital, the ED is usually filled with drug-seekers and hypochondriacs - probably 80% of them don't belong in the ED - and many of the staff are cynical and rather burned-out.

That's a major part of the problem, along with the ER staff jumping to conclusions about why someone is there. I clearly stated I had chest pains and hallucinations but they assumed I was having another "fit." I'm not really sure what the nurse meant by fit, she made me feel like I was having a mental breakdown and this was said in the ER room very loudly and filled with strangers. An Addison's Crisis is not a fit, it's an Addison's Crisis.

Thanks for your advice, unfortunately because of the type of insurance I have and the fact that the closest endocrinologist that takes it is in San Francisco...an hour drive on a good day. California Care did not give us any other option we automatically got sent to PHC (low income) insurance. We decided to pay out of pocket to see the local endocrinologist, she doesn't have admiring privileges at the local hospital unfortunately. We also just got assigned to a new PCP on 10/1/2014 and this occurred on 9/29/2014 and the PCP I had at the time was terrible horrible. I had been going to them since 8/4/2014 complaining of nausea and vomiting among other things. They couldn't help, that's why we switched to the new PCP.

There's so much going on with insurance, no local specialists and shotty ER care, it was kind of like a snowball effect. I'll be taking an ambulance to the ER from now on, unless it's for something minor of course.

Thank god I fought for that bloodwork because if I didn't...

Thanks for your advice

a reply to: Jennyfrenzy

Sorry you faced such trouble - I think it's one we've all faced - finding a competent PCP - the reimbursement rates are so low in PCP, it can be difficult to get good doctors, and ones that aren't so overbooked, they can barely bother to see you.

I've actually had pretty good results at an urgent care clinic, as it's usually staffed by moonlighting Internists and ED docs, and its run without the overhead and bureaucratic dictates of a hospital. But that's usually only good for acute conditions.

Other than finding a good PCP, I'd take the hospital up on the "teaching" experience - I know you took that as a negative, and I don't blame you - but I think they were offering an olive branch - work with them, and try to communicate that your primary concern isn't what happened, but that you don't want it to happen again. Follow-up on that, and ask "what actions were taken so this doesn't recur?"

Make sure that your medical records at the ED are up-to-date - sadly, while most hospitals now comply with the requirements for EMR's, many of the systems are incompatible, even in the same hospital - I've heard of hospitals that have 3 different EMR systems - one for ED, one for outpatient, one for wards - none of which are linked.

in my job, I brushed up against these EMR systems a couple of times, and in one case, they had a professional IT staff to implement their technology - a great big and well-run university hospital, they did it right. In another case, they'd appointed nurses and mid-level administrators to select the system, rather than dedicated IT professionals, and they basically fell for whatever salesman had the best lines; a complete mess. There's a great deal of automation available to run hospitals, but many administrators are still in the 60's, and think if paper charts were good enough back then ...

Anyway, I digress - Best of luck!