There is a patient who comes in with abdominal pain and anxiety disorder. She thinks her husband poisoned her. It is chalked up to paranoia, psychosis, delusion.
Serum comes back positive for PCP.
This is a woman in her fifties, very calm, maybe a little somatic, educated, etc. Not your typical profile of a PCP user. THC positive as well. She swears up and down she doesn't use drugs.
How do we KNOW she wasn't poisoned? The police were called but no follow up was done because she was transferred to the psych unit.
She is terrified of her husband. A friend came up and corroborated her story. The friend also suspects the husband contaminated the wife's food.
How do we know she isn't telling the truth? That it is a delusion?
thanks to all who posted about the mandated reporting. As a new nurse, I am finding out that my school just didn't cover everything! We talked about children and the elderly but they did not specify between adults with and without mental issues that would interfere with the patient's judgement and decision making abilities.
Thats what I love about this forum--I learn so much!
MIA-RN1, RN
1,329 Posts
thanks to all who posted about the mandated reporting. As a new nurse, I am finding out that my school just didn't cover everything! We talked about children and the elderly but they did not specify between adults with and without mental issues that would interfere with the patient's judgement and decision making abilities.
Thats what I love about this forum--I learn so much!