The Complete Knee Checkup

One doctor who was posted in the Community Health Centre (CHC) Ballabhgarh which was affiliated to the AIIMS, New Delhi, recounted his experience there. 

An aged woman came to the OPD with the complaint of pain in her right knee. The doctor examined the patient and made a diagnosis of age-related osteoarthritis and prescribed some medicines for her.

The patient looked at the doctor with dissatisfaction and implored him to check her knee properly before writing the medicines. The doctor replied, ‘I have properly checked your knee and then only wrote the medicines.’

The unconvinced woman countered, ‘But you have not used this to check my knee!’ pointing at the stethoscope (steth) hanging around the doctor’s neck. 

As most of you know, the stethoscope is used by doctors to listen to your breath and heart sounds. As most of the patients used to come to the OPD with chest complaints, cough and cold and fever, examining the chest with a stethoscope was done in almost all patients.

When the doctor had logically not applied the stethoscope to her knee, the patient felt the doctor was not examining her properly as compared to the other patients causing her distress.  

Bending to her request, the doctor applied the stethoscope to her knee, acted as if his listening carefully to sounds made by her knee, and then said, ‘I have now done the full examination, but there is no need to change the medicines already written. Take them and come next week for follow up.’

A now satisfied patient happily left with medicines.

When the doctor did not use the stethoscope to examine her, the woman felt that the doctor is not taking due diligence (proper care) in treating her leading to her dissatisfaction.

It is not enough to be conscientious in while taking care of your patients/customers / clients but you should also appear to be doing so to their satisfaction, even if you may have to indulge in showmanship at times.

(Based on an allegedly true incident)

— ND

© Author. All rights reserved. 

Please share this post on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.

If viewing from Mobile, switch to Webpage view to see a list of popular posts and index of topics of previous posts.

Please give your valuable feedback via the comments below. Please note that comments will appear later only after moderation. Please Log in with Google Id before writing comments.

You can receive a notification on latest post by subscribing via clicking on the bottom of the page on the Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purposes. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use the information herein is at your one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purposes. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use the information herein is at your one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost and according to MCI and other Board’s norms. 

The TB Patient

This happened in the Ballabhgarh Community Health Center (CHC) Harayan which is affiliated to AIIMS, New Delhi.

Junior and Senior doctors from AIIMS are posted there to get experience in working in a small setup. The doctors keep on rotating with a posting of few months at the Ballabhgarh CHC.

A patient suffering from Lungs tuberculosis (Pulmonary TB) came for consultation to the Senior Resident (SR) Medicine at the CHC Out-Patient-Department (OPD). The patient was taking medicines for tuberculosis (TB) for the last 9 months. 

The SR noted that the patient had completed the recommended 9 months course of anti-tuberculosis medicines and appeared completely cured of the disease.  (The recommended duration may be different at present time and for different patients.) The SR congratulated the patient and informed him that he is now cured of his disease and can stop taking the anti-tuberculosis medicines.

The patient asked, “Sir, does that means I can stop wearing the face mask in my house and start having close interactions with my family members?”

The surprised SR asked him to explain what does he means by this. The SR was surprised to learn that when the man was first diagnosed with tuberculosis, he had been asked by the previous Senior Resident Medicine to wear a face mask and to avoid close contact with his other family members. This was to avoid spreading the tuberculosis bacteria by the air-borne route to them.

The SR medicine was since transferred back to AIIMS, New Delhi. When the patient came for the next visit the SR was not there and the patient was too intimidated to ask the new SR till what time he had to follow these restrictions. So the last 9 months the patient had worn a face-mask all the time in his house and was maintaining a distance from other family members including his wife and children when the restrictions if needed was to be followed only for 15 days!

The SR informed him that he need not wear any face-mask and can lead an unrestricted life like others. The patient went back that day with a smile on his face but returned next day to the OPD with a large packet of sweets (Indian Mithai) and an even larger smile on his face.

Tip: When advising some restrictions to the patients, clients, customers; such as food, diet, activity, etc. it is better to give them the expected time when the restrictions will be lifted or the time when they may be reassessed. Failure to do so may lead to unnecessary hardship for them.  

Tip to Patients: If your doctor advises you some precautions or restrictions, then ask till what time or till what point are they to be followed. If it is not clear at that time, then you may ask on your next visit about stopping or modifying them.  

(Based on allegedly true incident)

— ND
© Author. All rights reserved. 

If viewing from Mobile, switch to Webpage view to see a list of popular posts and index of topics of previous posts.

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost and according to MCI and other Board’s norm. 

You can share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, etc, using the Buttons above 'Labels' and below 'Posted by:'.
Please give your valuable feedback via comments below. Please note that comments will appear after moderation.

You can receive notification on latest post by subscribing via clicking on the bottom of the page on the Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

The Ballabgarh Hernia

Professor (Dr.) Tarun Kumar Chaturji (Fictional Name) ward rounds in AIIMS, New Delhi, on free days were ‘tough’. Even the junior consultants used to fear them. After one such ‘tough’ ward round the junior residents were sitting dejected in the duty room. Feeling pity for them Dr. Chaturji told them a little story to boost up their morale and brighten their hope of becoming a great surgeon someday.

Dr. Tarun Kumar Chaturji was posted in the community health care center in Ballabgarh, Haryana, as senior resident in surgery as part of his rotational posting. Compared to the hospital in AIIMS, New Delhi, it was a new experience for him. The operation theatre was far removed from the ones in AIIMS. There were no junior residents to assist during operation and look after the patients in the post-operative period. The ward and nursing staff was also not comparable to that in AIIMS, New Delhi.

Dr. Chaturji operated on hernia patient there. The patient had a bad hospital course in the period after the operation (Dr. Chaturji had declined to comment on the actual details). While leaving the hospital, the patient said, that if he knew he had to face such problems, he never would have got himself operated upon by Dr. Chaturji.

Tip: Even the great face problems at the beginning of their career. So don’t get disheartened by problems or failures in the early part of your career.

Tip: When you go in a setup that is different from what you are used to working or where you were taught, mistakes are bound to occur. Take care to minimize your mistake. Be dynamic and adapt to the condition at hand.

Tip: Also, it takes someone with great self-confidence and courage and a genuine need to encourage you to talk about any setbacks or misfortune in the early part of their career. Treat them with the respect and love they deserve.

(Based on true incident)

— ND
© Author. All rights reserved. 

If viewing from Mobile, switch to Webpage view to see a list of popular posts and index of topics of previous posts.

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost and according to MCI and other Board’s norm. 

You can share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, etc, using the Buttons above 'Labels' and below 'Posted by:'.
Please give your valuable feedback via comments below. Please note that comments will appear after moderation.

You can receive notification on latest post by subscribing via clicking on the bottom of the page on the Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)