Cat Scratch Fever, its not just a song.

SubJeff on 8/10/2007 at 07:30

What is so arrogant or "twatish" about it?

Let's pretend that I am correct in every factual statement I've made here, such as the GP's choices based on BA's history of the complaint, the way cat scratch is treated, etc. Would what I am saying seem so wrong to you then?

I'm not letting it lie because I've had people itt accuse me off all sorts of nonsense, seemingly because they cannot accept that I am correct and they are not. I haven't even been rude about it ffs (to BA at least, Spaz is another thing entirely). BA started getting wound up when I suggested that she had some her facts wrong and Spaz made some very ill informed statements - see his first post. Ridiculous.

mol on 8/10/2007 at 08:51

Dude.

When someone's had a hell of a scare, would it kill you to show just a shred of sympathy instead of going all anal on how you got the details right and how the doctor was right, and generally coming across as totally unsympathetic and dismissive about the whole thing? You ask what is so arrogant and twattish? That is.

Sometimes it's not necessary to prove you're right, when a person clearly has had a scare of her life. Just a little sympathy would be nice.

SubJeff on 8/10/2007 at 09:18

Ahem. It seems to me that part of the reason that BA was so anxious about the whole thing was because she thought the original doc had done something wrong.

Quote Posted by Subjective Effect

Glad you're getting better!

Quote Posted by Subjective Effect

I'm glad you're feeling better.

Quote Posted by Subjective Effect

I only piped up because I find it silly when people start dissing when they don't have the facts right.

Perhaps I should have been more touchy-feely about it but I'm looking at the big picture here. BA seems to have lost some confidence in her GP. How is that going to make her feel next time she has to see him? Not as good as she would like I'll wager. I'm pointing out where she has been uninformed so that next time she won't get the wrong impression, next time she'll feel better, and all also for the the benefits of dullards like Spaz. Initially I just pointed out that she was incorrect, then I came under a barrage of criticism for educating people on what I think is an important matter. What is the problem with you people? I've hardly been dismissive, I'm being informative and the initial intention was to be helpful. I'll think twice about that next time.

Quote Posted by LesserFollies

Jesus, I hope you're not planning on being a doctor...

Oh, lollers!

SD on 8/10/2007 at 10:16

Quote Posted by LesserFollies

Let it go already. Jesus, I hope you're not planning on being a doctor... what an arrogant, twattish attitude.

Did I miss something; when did an arrogant, twattish attitude stop being the primary requisite for a medical doctor?

SubJeff on 8/10/2007 at 10:27

What did the docs do to you SD? You sure have a lot of hate for them.

SD on 8/10/2007 at 10:50

I don't hate them; I just think they're over-rated and over-paid.

SubJeff on 8/10/2007 at 13:33

Over-rated I don't know - but then I don't really get what you mean.

Over-paid no way!! How much is your health/life worth? :p

Matthew on 8/10/2007 at 15:37

According to my life assurance, rather less than I thought :(

(I personally didn't think SubjEff was out of line, by the by)

LesserFollies on 8/10/2007 at 16:14

Ok, let's look at it from BA's point of view:

~Visit(s) to First Doctor~

BA: I have lumps. Do you think it could be some sort of infection caused by a cat scratch? I've got two scratchy kittens at home. I've been feeling kind of achy and feverish, and one scratch didn't heal well...

First Doctor: NO, IT'S NOT THAT. (my emphasis) It could be a sarcoma. You must go to a surgeon IMMEDIATELY. >:|

BA: fuck :(

*Weeks of fear & misery*

~Visit to Second Doctor~

BA: Oh fuck help I'm dying

Second Doctor (let's call him Dr. Nugent): Calm down, tell me what's going on in your life.

BA: *does so*

Dr. Nugent: Sounds like cat scratch fever! Here, try this specific anti-biotic.

*Lumps go away, fever and achiness disappear, BA doesn't have to sell house or whatever to pay medical bills*

What the first doctor did wrong was to dismiss, (or appear to dismiss) out of hand, her idea that it could be an infection. I'm not surprised that she reacted the way she did. Was he proceeding to treat a possible infection? Maybe. The important thing is, to BA, he was NOT. At the risk of sounding arrogant and twattish myself, both of my parents were doctors, and I know a bit about the subtleties of demeanor, etc. The first doctor mishandled THE PATIENT, if not her symptoms. And SubEff, you lost me at "I'm just trying to educate you people." Lose that attitude yesterday.

SubJeff on 8/10/2007 at 17:33

That's not the way it went though. Your recap is a gross distortion.

BA did not initially state that she had a fever, nor did she tell us about any specific scratch at all - even when I specifically mentioned that cat scratch lesions usually form under a scratch - all she said was that she had these lumps. Doctors do not suspect infection in a lump if it doesn't seem like an infected lump. Why would they? We don't really know the full nature of BA's symptoms but it certainly didn't come across as frank signs of infection (and you do know that cat scratch disease is pretty rare, right?).

Then you state this "You must go to a surgeon IMMEDIATELY", another distortion. BA specifically stated that this was only recommended after the second visit, when the lump had increased in size.

2 things - 1.Cat scratch lesions are often treated with drainage, and a surgeon is better suited to that than a GP don't you think? Especially in the US where litigation is so high I expect even the most minor ops are referred on. 2. Rapidly growing masses ARE the domain of surgeons for the most part. Even if it was just an abscess it's likely a surgeon would deal with it. Heck, here in the UK upper limb cellulitis, much more minor than a frekking ping-pong sized mass/possible abscess, is treated by orthopaedic surgeons.

Different doctors deal with things in different ways. There are some strict and some general rules and treatment protocols, and if it were me I would have started antibiotic just in case. That doesn't mean that not starting it is wrong with the information that we have been given. I use tend to use finer suture material than some of my colleagues when suturing faces and hands in the Accident and Emergency department, but neither I nor my colleagues is wrong, it's a difference in the way we practice.

Thanks for the support Matthew.

And I'm "educating" because it looks like I'm the only doctor itt.