The Medical History

Taking a medical history in the ED is often a challenge. Usually this is because people don't know their own medical problems or have any clue, for instance, that drinking a twelve pack of beer a day is, well, unhealthy.

There is also the patient who is just stupid (click above to see my previous post entitled, "You Appear to Understand English").

Tonight I had the third of the dreaded triumvirate of "poor historians"... The "too much information" patient. It goes like this...

Me: "Ma'am, tell me why you are here tonight."
Patient: "Well, many years ago..."

Ugh...