Friday, March 17, 2006

Drug Seekers

What to do when someone fakes symptoms to get narcotics? Depending on my mood and how busy we are you might get lucky with me. Sometimes I don't care if you have come in every other day for a year for a demerol shot if it will just clear the bed to get someone who is very ill into the room. Sometimes I play possum. This involves treating the patient's pain with IV toradol, IM Zofran for nausea... anything but an opiate or opiate derivative. Then you wait and complete your evaluation. I have found that the true drug seekers will often seek greener pastures and will just get up and walk out. Sometimes you find a real cause for pain. These patients are needles in a haystack but they keep your sphincter-tone up when all the nurses tell you, "Oh, that's Mr. X, he's here all the time, all he wants are drugs." One day Mr. X will be sick and you can't afford to be wrong, not even once.

No comments:

Post a Comment

ALL SPAM AND GRATUITOUS LINK POSTINGS WILL BE IMMEDIATELY DELETED.