When a Confused Patient Smarter than a Doctor

[Steve123]

Yesterday I had a new admit with new onset of mental status change. The first thing the pt did after arriving to the nursing unit from emergency room - he had a bowel movement. Then I reviewed doctor's orders, enema was ordered. I called doctor and informed him that the pt already had BM. Doctor said that the pt still needs enema because CT of abdomen showed stool in colon. I read CT report. Nothing was mentioned about stool in colon in radiology report. If not mentioned I assumed that colon was WNL, why to give enema? But doctor still thought that enema needed. I told the confused pt about doctor's order, to my relief, pt refused, stating that he just had BM. Yes, sometimes confused patients can be smarter that doctors.

[Tfulton]

I nearly forgot to add: early in the am as I was about to be discharged and was getting dressed, a tech came in the room with supplies for another enema. He told me the attending physician, who had gone off shift left an order for 2 to 4 more enemas. I tried telling them it was a mistake, that the order had been done, but they wouldn't listen.

The dr on duty was reluctant to change another dr s orders and they wouldn't discharge me until it was carried out. So I was given 2 more large enemas that I felt I didn't need.

The kicker came when I visited my pcp s clinic a few days later. I was sent down to a pediatric clinic that they contract with for 'procedures' I figured probably a ct scan or something. I got there and was informed that between my dr and the doc from the er, someone had left a standard order for, you guessed it, more enemas.

I protested, they got ahold of mycp s office which confirmed the order I had to take 3 at this clinic before my pcp would even see me. When she did later that day. I asked her about the order and she apologized, said it was an error

Left over from the er s docs notes and she was really sorry I had to go through that. So was I