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Do surgeons diagnose patients
Started by Kei22
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Yes. Though frequency and level of diagnostic workup completed or directed by a surgeon will vary by subspecialty, practice setting, referral patterns, etc.
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Surgeons are physicians.
Me surgeon make cut on person, FP/IM resident tell me where
You have a fracture?
ED: There is an aneurysm
Me: Where is it?
ED: In room 12
Me: * Stares at camera and realizes why I'm not allowed to bring an axe into work *
It depends on the surgical specialty. Most surgical specialties make diagnoses all the time, but some surgical specialties tend to make fewer diagnoses. Cardiac surgery tends to get patients who already have a diagnosis, imaging and workup.
The ED asks me to do it all the time.
"Hey, we have this patient with abdominal pain. We ordered a CT scan but it's going to be awhile before they get it done. Was wondering if you could come lay hands on the patient?" Or sometimes its "Just wanted you to give you first crack at it and have you check him/her out."
"Ok what do you think is going on?"
"Um, I actually haven't seen the patient. I just got it signed out to me that he's having abdominal pain."
"Hey, we have this patient with abdominal pain. We ordered a CT scan but it's going to be awhile before they get it done. Was wondering if you could come lay hands on the patient?" Or sometimes its "Just wanted you to give you first crack at it and have you check him/her out."
"Ok what do you think is going on?"
"Um, I actually haven't seen the patient. I just got it signed out to me that he's having abdominal pain."
Do we work in the same hospital? Because it sounds like we work in the same hospital. Please tell me we work in the same hospital so I know that not every other ED is just as lazy and incompetent.
I've found it can take a few questions to get them to admit they haven't actually seen the patient yet. For us, especially when there may be airway involvement, talking to someone who has actually seen the human being in question is essential and the EMR gives people enough info that sometimes they can BS their way around it. So what I've started doing is this:
"Hey, I think I know this patient. Does he/she have long red hair?"
"..."
Guaranteed not to be in the EMR and usually elicits a prompt confession that nobody has seen them since the CT was ordered a few hours ago.
All physicians diagnose patients. Surgeons diagnose patients correctly. 🙂
The oral boards I take tomorrow definitely wants me to diagnose something
Ay-sis-TOLL-ee
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