Infection vs Medication reaction

[Sangye]

It is scary to hear all the stories on these pages (and my own experience) about us patients having to take control of the drugs prescribed to us. It makes you wonder how many of the less well informed are suffering due to poor standards of care and doctor's mistakes.

In 2004 a study of 37 million patients records was done. It concluded, "An average of 195,000 people in the USA died due to potentially preventable, in-hospital medical errors in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002."

"The equivalent of 390 jumbo jets full of people are dying each year due to likely preventable, in-hospital medical errors, making this one of the leading killers in the U.S."

These were only deaths that occurred in the hospital. So if they sent a patient home on the wrong meds and they died at home, it wasn't counted.

I have to add that holistic medicine gets all the negative press-- from the "safety" of supplements and herbs to the efficacy of holistic treatments. But if we were causing anywhere near this kind of damage, you can bet holistic medicine would be driven out of existence.

[pberggren1]

In 2004 a study of 37 million patients records was done. It concluded, "An average of 195,000 people in the USA died due to potentially preventable, in-hospital medical errors in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002."

"The equivalent of 390 jumbo jets full of people are dying each year due to likely preventable, in-hospital medical errors, making this one of the leading killers in the U.S."

These were only deaths that occurred in the hospital. So if they sent a patient home on the wrong meds and they died at home, it wasn't counted.

I have to add that holistic medicine gets all the negative press-- from the "safety" of supplements and herbs to the efficacy of holistic treatments. But if we were causing anywhere near this kind of damage, you can bet holistic medicine would be driven out of existence.

Some day holistic medicine will be the only medicine available and most people will not be sick any more. Obesity will be a thing of the past and our diets will revert back to that of our ancesters. Modern medicine will be obliterated.

[Sangye]

That's not our goal.... There's a need for allopathic medicine. If I broke my leg or my appendix burst, there's nothing holistic medicine can do. But you are correct in your general idea that the scales are tipped in the wrong direction. Most conditions can be prevented and treated using holistic medicine without causing the cascade of side effects and damage that allopathic medicine invariably causes.

[Lightwarrior]

Oh Lightwarrior, I'm so sorry to hear about your condition. I hope they can figure it out quickly. The infected kidney stone or mtx reaction ideas sound likely. Have they taken a chest x-ray? Mtx loves to cause pneumonitis.

I'm also wondering if they should test you for Valley Fever and things like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. You don't have the typical symptoms, but any cyclical fever makes me think of fungal and rickettsial infections. The pred can easily mask the other symptoms. Also, they often progress slowly, so classic symptoms could be weeks away. I know you have ID on your case, but they might be so focused on the other things that they don't test for things they normally would.

So glad you have the background to advocate for yourself. Hang in there, friend.

I've had chest xray and ct this visit and lungs are clear. Valley Fever is common in this area and is one of the things they tested me for early on before they diagnosed Wegs. I'm a nurse or I would be dead by now....i so worry about those who have to depend on the system. My platlets dropped to 79 today and I find out that one of the hospitalists had put me on asprin since I got here......Now I'm making them open every medication in front of me.

Just saw the ID doc, he is convinced that it is infection hiding in the kidney stones, he is putting in a PICC line so I can go home tomorrow and get IV antibiotics every 24 hours until this is cleared up. I should be able to be back to work by Thursday.

[Lightwarrior]

That's not our goal.... There's a need for allopathic medicine. If I broke my leg or my appendix burst, there's nothing holistic medicine can do. But you are correct in your general idea that the scales are tipped in the wrong direction. Most conditions can be prevented and treated using holistic medicine without causing the cascade of side effects and damage that allopathic medicine invariably causes.

I agree, it is not our goal, but we now have the ability to blend the best of both worlds...doing so succesfully is our next frontier. I remember when I was a young skinny (lol, yeah I know hard to believe my memory can reach back that far) white girl learning from an amazing great aunt (by marriage) who was a cuarandera and picked me of all the family to teach, anyway I remember asking her things like what do you do for this and she would teach me the remedy, one of the days we laughed the hardest together was when I asked her something and she said...Go to the doctor, she knew how to blend the old and the new and when to blend.

Jack and Phil....I have heard those numbers before, can you imagine if 390 jetliners dropped from the sky?? The entire world would go nuts.. Yet most hospitals are still barely over 50% compliant with hand washing.

Marta, maybe our book with collective stories can put a strong emphasis on patient safety and how to advocate for yourself and loved ones.

[marta]

Light Warrior, I am getting goosebumps reading about what you're going through. I'm blown away and scared of what could happen to someone who's a rookie in this game of Wegener's without a background in medicine.... someone like, say, myself, if this happened. I have this trust in the medical system that I need to shed and be more educated as to what can cause damage and what can help, and it's quite overwhealming. You're a strong woman, and I'm glad to hear that you're on top of it and vigilant with what's being brought your way in the form of little white pills. That stat of iatrogenic fatalities is also quite mind-blowing.

The book, yes, I've been thinking about a couple of different Appendices, including symptoms we've experienced and their possible triggers, what constitutes a flare, common treatments we've had for flares and other symptoms, and now YES, patient safety and how to advocate for yourself and loved ones is a very good one to stick in there... a life saver actually.

The book keeps getting bigger and bigger - this is a good thing. The more out there, the better.

Take care Lightwarrior, be strong, and be healthy as soon as possible. My heart is with you.

[Sangye]

Marta, I can't tell you how many major mistakes have been made with my care during my hospitalizations. Each hospital stay has had at least one, regardless of the length or the hospital.

Since the first admission, I've always checked the meds they hand me. I have them tell me what every single pill is. If it looks different from my usual (sometimes their brand is a different color or size) I ask to see the pack with the label on it. If it's a drug I didn't know about, I don't take it until speaking with my doctor. That happens a lot-- a doctor will write an order for something without discussing it with me. Nothing gets me riled up like that!

You also have to check for which pills are missing. They often forget to give me one of my usual meds.

The other thing they mess up is when they give the meds. A doc might order it twice a day, so they'll automatically bring it in the early morning and night. But some should be taken with food, which is hours away. I took an antibiotic once without food and had horrific abdominal pain for the next few days. They thought it damaged my small intestine.

Most of the nurses are very happy to go over the meds with you. They feel better knowing there aren't mistakes. But every so often I've had a bad nurse who thought I was being too picky or controlling. They're usually the ones who make mistakes. If they're nasty about it I ask if I can just hand them a bunch of pills to swallow.

[Jack]

Agreed.
I am lucky enough to be able to self medicate when in hospital, but some doctors still try to mess with my drugs without consulting me. I never take anything that I don't recognise or have not researched for myself.

[marta]

I find this is the way it is with life too Sangye, people get the most offended when you call them on a shortcoming they are already aware of - even if only subconsciously.
I love the idea of offering them a bunch of pills to swallow, a forced empathy card.

[elephant]

I am like Sangye in the hospital too. I don't apoligize for it either.