|
|
Post by larrynz on Nov 6, 2007 5:14:38 GMT -5
I think I have met this attitude. www.pulsetoday.co.uk:80/story.asp?sectioncode=23&storycode=4115712&c=2GPs urged to fight 'nihilistic' hospital doctors over COPD 05 Nov 07 GPs must counter the ‘nihilistic’ approach of hospital doctors towards patients with severe COPD, say respiratory GPs and specialists. The comments follow a UK study suggesting hospital doctors are overly pessimistic about patients admitted with COPD exacerbations, and may deny them emergency care. Hospital doctors predicted that 49% of 832 patients would survive, but the actual figures showed that 62% lived to 180 days. This pessimism means too many COPD patients being excluded from intensive care or respiratory high dependency units. Dr Martin Wildman, lead author and consultant chest physician at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, said there was a ‘nihilistic’ approach to severe COPD and recommended GPs act as advocates for patients in their referral letters. ‘If the GP sent them in with a very strongly supporting letter, then that might an effect on altering that pessimism,’ he said. Dr Noel O’Kelly, a GPSI in COPD at Lincolnshire PCT agreed GPs could provide the ‘whole picture’ of a patient in a referral letter. But he added that many COPD patients were emergency admissions to hospital. The research was published early online in the BMJ. |
|
|
|
Post by LindaNY on Nov 6, 2007 9:41:41 GMT -5
Interesting. It makes one wonder just how aggressive some physicians will get in order to save a life.
After working over thirty years with the medical profession,it's been my experience that some just say "well they are going to die anyway. Make them comfortable and let them go." Not all but some.
|
|
|
|
Post by Joyce7 on Nov 7, 2007 10:54:58 GMT -5
That's a scary thought. I do worry that healthcare will go downhill for mainly the older generation when it comes to care and meds. Money will always be there for the young but not necessarily for the older generation. It's a worry...Joyce
|
|
|
|
Post by cocojax on Nov 7, 2007 15:27:12 GMT -5
We just received an insert from the NDP stating Parliament has passed
an NDP motion directing government to phase in free drug & dental coverage for all seniors. The NDP is also pressing the Harper government of return $1-billion wrongly withheld from CPP/OAS pensioners from July 2001 to March 2006. Hopefully this will be fullfilled and we will not have to worry how to pay for our drugs and dental..Phil would have been pleased about this..
|
|
