I read a post here sometime back about a guy whose diabetic mum was given the wrong prescription that almost killed her and as a medical practitioner I feel the need to write this piece.
I have a rule when attending to patients and its simply "ALL PATIENTS ARE LIARS" no matter what you tell me I will still carry out the necessary test I want to before treating you. Now there are certain types of lying patients; Click to continue.
1) There are the patients who don't know what was done to them previously, so they cannot give you an accurate medical history such patients are usually uneducated, very elderly, or can't speak english or express their selves accurately. Such patients tell you "No" and "Yes" to every question but can't accurately say "I was treated for hypertension 3 years ago" I will advise the readers to always accompany such patients (Aged parents, grand parents etc) to the hospital.
2) There are the patients who know their exact medical history BUT will refuse to tell you for reasons best known to them. Such patients think they will be judged, are considering their social status or they are ashamed etc. E.g a newly married woman comes for medical check up as to why she hasn't gotten pregnant in 3yrs after marriage and she's asked if she's ever done an abortion before and she replies "NO" when the answer is "YES" now that could be the cause of her problem or it could be something else but she has made the Doctor rule out abortion as a possible cause and he's treating for something else. A mother comes with her Baby and complains of excessive stooling and she's asked what she's feeding her baby and she says "Fisocream or Cerelac" but she conveniently keeps quiet about the "Traditional mixture" her mother gave her to feed the Baby for healthy bones and teeth. So the doctors treat for something else.
3) There are the "Holyghost filled, tongue-speaking, fire breathing, over righteous christian" patients that will NEVER give you accurate medical history because they believe "If any man be in Christ he is a new creation OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY and behold all things have become new". Yes! I am a born again christian so don't get me wrong at all, even though you have left your old ways PLEASE PLEASE when you find yourself in a hospital for whatever reason let the doctor know relevant medical history while you were a sinner.
4) There are the OVERSABI patients that will research all their symptoms online, come to the hospital, frustrate the Dr. Before the Dr says "A" they have said "B-Z" some even tell the Doctor what is the best treatment for them. Most times when you prescribe drugs for such patients they go back to wikipedia read all they can about the drug then on their own decide that the side effects for the prescribed drug is too much then they prescribe their drugs according to wikipedia that they think is best for them.
However there are very very few patients that will tell you as it is that are very open and believe their life comes first before any Past, traditional beliefs, titles etc. The aim of this post is not to insult any body but to encourage readers to always say the truth about medical history and never lie to their doctors because when you blame doctors its not entirely their fault most times. However if you know you were honest and still not satisfied with the treatment always seek a second and third opinion, being a doctor never made anybody perfect.
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