Medical Information

[ferlew]

How much are we entitled to know?
Found out yesterday that Mr F has broken ribs from the procedure to remove part of lung.
The Docs/Nurses on the ward have not mentioned it at all. It would have helped to know why he was in so much pain.

[woofgang]

You are right bedknobs. Nurses are no longer allowed to "give" prn meds, they have to offer them and if the patient refuses, they can't insist and are not required to pursue it. A solution might be for the doc to prescribe regular pain relief for the first few days after surgery instead of writing it up prn. I am not going to get into a discussion over nurses here. I have experienced some excellent ones and some that I would not allow to look after someone else's Furby. Same with doctors, both in and out of hospital.

[ferlew]

Sorry, been busy the last day or so.

I don't think I have told this very well at all.
Yes, he was offered, and declined paracetamol. He has been on morphine the first few days, then after that was offered the paracetamol.
The reason he refused them was previous experience. He has been through 1 traumatic, and one planned amputation, on the same leg. I think he knows now what will help his pain, and what won't.

Sorry all, did not mean to stir a can of worms. We are grateful his cancer was found and removed so quickly. Also grateful that the surgeon who performed the op was a first class chap.

The physio who visits him at home (to help clear his airways) came to see him on Friday, and it was she who told us about the broken rib. She said it often happens in older folk. So it was just enough for us to have a reason why the pain was more than expected.

[bednobs]

i really hope he feels better soon :)
The refusal of paracetamol goes a long way to explaining why a mix up occurred, although that's not helpful now