pneumonia without data

Nursing Students Student Assist

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Are doctors quick to diagnosis pneumonia without data. My asthma patient has had cold like symptoms for a week and is diagnosed with pneumonia. But I did not see a chest x-ray or a culture to diagnosis. It may be there tomorrow morning, but I think I have seen this before.

Labs were

Reactive protein high and

Influenza A and B not dectected.

On Zithromax

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

kimber1985. . .we are nurses, not doctors. We cannot make medical diagnoses or medical decisions. Nor, is it within the scope of our practice to question a doctor's medical diagnosis. The physician does his/her own assessment and evaluation of the patient. The physician is licensed to make this medical judgment. Now, there are circumstances about this patient and doctor relationship that you may not have any knowledge of. You don't know what kind of testing and assessment went on before your contact with the patient. Stay out of this. It is inappropriate of you to interfere and question this diagnosis with the scant amount of information you have. If you feel that the Zithromax might be inappropriate for you to give, then you could call the physician and question why you are being asked to give it. However, with a diagnosis of pneumonia before you I would expect to get a tongue-lashing from the doctor.

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