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- Nov 29, 2005
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So I got into a somewhat heated discussion with my attending today about urine pregnancy testing. At some point in time during my residency I had a patient who was a young woman of childbearing age who was married and involved in a low speed MVC, wearing a C-collar, complaining of C and T spine TTP and L shoulder pain only. My attending wanted xrays of C and T spine, and left shoulder. Out of habit, I asked her if there is any way she could even possibly be pregnant and she said no. I asked her to explain. She stated that even though she was married, she had not had sex in months and has been having normal periods. Several reasons I thought she did not need a pregnancy test included: A. I don't think she is lying to me for no reason. B. These particular imaging studies haven't been proven to cause any harm to an unborn fetus. and C. Our hospital has a policy that any woman of childbearing age who can consent for xrays must sign a waver that she understands the potential risks to her unborn child should she choose to undergo radiological testing without a pregnancy test.
My attending basically told me that if he was the expert witness for the plaintiff that I would have no chance in court. He said if she had a child and the child had any type of deformity that I would get sued and I would lose and he based it on the fact that I was too cavalier to order a cheap urine pregnancy test.
What do you think? Do I have a defense? What has medicine come to if this is what my career will be about? This is not what I want my practice to be like. I try to be reasonable in my clinical practice. What am I missing?
My attending basically told me that if he was the expert witness for the plaintiff that I would have no chance in court. He said if she had a child and the child had any type of deformity that I would get sued and I would lose and he based it on the fact that I was too cavalier to order a cheap urine pregnancy test.
What do you think? Do I have a defense? What has medicine come to if this is what my career will be about? This is not what I want my practice to be like. I try to be reasonable in my clinical practice. What am I missing?