Distracted doctors

[agate]

You've heard about new laws prohibiting driving while using a cellphone or other device? Drivers aren't the only people who might be endangering lives while being distracted by electronic gadgets. According to Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register... doctors and other medical professionals are sometimes e-mailing, texting, and surfing during surgery and at other critical times.

An excerpt:

Research on the subject is beginning to emerge. A peer-reviewed survey of 439 medical technicians published this year in Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register..., a journal about cardio-pulmonary bypass surgery, found that 55 percent of technicians who monitor bypass machines acknowledged to researchers that they had talked on cellphones during heart surgery. Half said they had texted while in surgery.

[SalpalSally]

I believe it, the last time I was in my Doc's office, he was so excited about his new computer, that sat right beside him, facing me, as if it were the computer talking to me...not him.. I was not impressed..

[Frog42]

That's disturbing. How do you know who you can rely on any more?

[Jo6]

most disturbing

My husband and I both feel strongly about not talking/using c-phone while driving. No matter that you have the "Blue-tooth thingy? If our phone rings we or the one that is driving will find a place to pull off the road, if it is inportant we will either call back later or talk then.

Last year about this time, right before Christmas 2 young teenagers wrecked not 4 miles from my house. One died instantly and the other died a few days later. Brother and sister, the driver was using the cell phone in some way. That was just 2 of many that have died because of cell phones.

Quiet frankly I do not oppose the law to ban talking on phone while driving and I will go a step further and say It is distracting for someone that isn't driving to talk to someone on the phone.

I know many people say the Gov. already has their nose in our business way too much. Well that can be debated on another forum. I feel safty rules are trying to keep many from losing their life over some such "little thing".

I for one hope the law will be passed in all states. That is only MY opinion!!

Jo

[renee]

It ain't pretty.

I was in the ER eight days ago. Bright shiny, new and hardly a soul there.
The crew-3 younger nurses and a 30+ PA.
I'm all for lively but what I was told while lying in the bed, and what I received for discharge
instructions was 21st century psychedelic.

The Red Bull generation gave me instructions that read like text messaging
WHERE ARE THE VERBS, MANNNN?

They told me to go to a wound care center that doesn't exist.
The PA was hot to change an antibiotic script- thats not why I was there-
to something that had proven ineffective.

It was nutty- the attention span of a bunch of gnats.
Good thing it wasn't life or death.

My PCP looked dazed and confused when he read it.

Hey, and how easy is it to keep a cell phone sterile???

[agate]

Egad, renee! More than ever I think hospitals should be avoided if at all possible. I've noticed how bright shiny new many of them are but you have to wonder.

I'd like to see medical providers pay closer attention to the actual patient AND that person's history. But they're all so busy flitting from one case to the next--and apparently communicating on their phones-- that I can't see how that will ever happen.

Anyway, glad you survived it, renee. How are you doing now?

[SalpalSally]

Sheesh Renee, scary!!! My recent ER visit was the complete opposite of yours. Everyone was right there for me and doing all they could and all the right things. My whole hospital experience was excellent. I must fill in that questioneer thingy they sent to me and send it back with my approvals of their great care. This, of course, was a first for me.....care wasn't always that prompt and good.

[renee]

2nd degree pressure sore on the tail bone.
Nurses coming in twice a week to change dressings.
Good wound care specialist.

Need new mattress to replace piece of k-rap mattress I received in feb.
Need new (wheelchair, 5 years) w/correct wheelchair cushion to replace
the extremely wrong one a bad med supply tech specialist??? sent me in may.

Heal.
Probably ditch workplace for mental health.
Want to live in a converted airstream on a beach like Lenny Kravitz.

To live simply and healthy relative to my own norm.
This is not asking much.

This I wish for everyone.

[agate]

Hope you get the new mattress, wheelchair and cushion ASAP--and speedy recovery from the pressure sore too.

Beach living sounds like a good idea. There was a nifty beach emoticon on this board a while ago but it seems to be gone now. This beach might not be so bad:

beach101801.jpg