I have recently had a lot of positive UDS pts, and the excuses I hear as to why they are positive simply blow my mind! Anyone have any good stories? I'll start with my favorites.....
+ marijuana: I was trapped in a car with 10 other people smoking and the windows were broken
+methamphetamine: I don't use it, I just cook it, and usually not at my own house
+cocaine: I was asleep, and my boyfriend blew it up my nose. The 2 gay men that live next to me put cocaine in their air vents, and it must have got into my apartment.
**my all-time favorite: well, of course my wife is positive for cocaine, you have no idea how many cokes she drinks everyday**
Actually Morte..not knowing the situation if they are involved with CPS and having to submit to drug tests. If they refuse or miss it is considered a positive. Every case is different though.
This line is always the one used to chip away at freedoms and rights.
Do I think drug-using pregnant women are admirable in any way? Heck no!
But they shouldn't be used to destroy the rights of every person to refuse medical tests and procedures.
Freedom and rights?! You have to take a drug test in order to get many of the jobs in this country. All of which I'm made well aware that a drug test will be required. Most of our patients are aware of the drug test because they've been educated by their doctors. If they tested positive during pregnancy, they use it as a teaching moment to help women turn things around. For those who drop in and test positive, 99% of the time the baby is placed with a family member. I think when you spend an hour with a baby withdrawing from a drug and it's part of your job to understand what symptoms will progressively get worse until the withdrawal period ends, then you'll want to know what drug was taken. I think there is a level of transparency needed to get the best medical assistance. Education is key here and that's what's really lacking. We need more clinics to educate women on all matters of sexual health and maternity.
Back to topic...best excuse I've received was that a bag of cocaine landed in her lap and she may have inhaled some.
The doctor ( a woman btw ) is responsible if your baby dies and doesn't do the proper screenings and the death could have been prevented. Who is going to protect her? Not the patient. Not the mother. That mom will turn on her and blame the doctor for her babies death. Doctors turn every stone trying to figure out what is wrong with their patients and sometimes it involves drug screens. When the screen turns out positive everyone is happy to have a reason (for the SVT, floppy kid, et) because now we can treat it! YAY! and just because someone turns up positive for drugs doesn't mean it is reported to the police. However children are different since they can't get drugs on their own when they are… say 1 hour old.
While you can choose to go to a birthing center, if there is a problem you will be transferred for a higher level of care. They still have protocols to fulfill.
How about it's their choice to get pregnant at all (barring rape) and the fact that they're a drug addict, know it, and are going to be harming their child. There's all sorts of tests pregnant women have to take, how is a drug test any different?
There are NO tests pregnant women HAVE to take....we're getting right back into how paternalistic pregnancy care is. Pregnant women can refuse prenatal testing, and many do refuse at least some tests.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Canada doesn't do pre-employment drug testing. They don't seem to have an abundance of workers injuring themselves or others due to being high/stoned at work.
Doctors turn every stone trying to figure out what is wrong with their patients and sometimes it involves drug screens. When the screen turns out positive everyone is happy to have a reason (for the SVT, floppy kid, et) because now we can treat it! YAY! and just because someone turns up positive for drugs doesn't mean it is reported to the police. However children are different since they can't get drugs on their own when they are… say 1 hour old.
guest744967
120 Posts
Actually Morte..not knowing the situation if they are involved with CPS and having to submit to drug tests. If they refuse or miss it is considered a positive. Every case is different though.