Update update update

[drdoug]

Saw locum GP again today. The sputum culture has come back, and they've found Haemophilus influenzae, which was resistant to amoxycillin, clarithromycin, and erythromycin. That would explain why the amoxycillin wasn't fixing everything, and taking a macrolide (clarithromycin, erythromycin, or azithromycin) probably wouldn't have helped anyway

Comments

[barakta]

Yes but medical doctors are not statisticians or mathematicians who may know or be able to do quick and dirty Fermi calculations... I think they like to forget that there are people allowed the hallowed "Dr." without having earned it *snerk* the proper and one true way ...

Many medical doctors go out of their way not to let people know they are a doc for a variety of reasons including sometimes getting poorer treatment cos their esteemed medical colleagues 'assume' they've self-diagnosed. My mum's partner doesn't want to be treated nicey cos he's a doc, he wants ALL patients to be treated nicey (and yes he's oldskool of the self diagnosing type, didn't see his GP for 20+ yrs)... Another doc friend didn't get her MS diagnosed for YEARS cos she and her colleagues decided early warning signs were "not that serious, just push through" including going blind in one eye for several days... When she did seek help they just assumed she was overworked and didn't work her up thoroughly...

Even if you aren't a MChB or whatever they are these days type of doctor, you're clearly one of those Learn'ed types wot denotes you worthy of talking to sensibly cos you'll probably understand them. I know my student GP asked my subject and when I replied "chemistry" she spoke more technically to me and always treated me sensibly about my annoying congenital disability complexities. I suspect she made a note on my file - I know she noted down a load of "look up the following before treating patient" type notes.

Are you in a OU catchment area? What's the demographic? I'm in a student area and often asked "do you study over there?" and when I say I work there they ask what and are interested in the answer... I deal with my GP practice on a work basis as well as a personal basis so I have an idea of how to play the game of how it all works. I suspect you walk in, say "Good afternoon Dr X, I came to see you about $medical-termish on A and Dr advised if I experienced B then I should come back to you. I've been prescribed Umpteen Mg of Blah umpty times per day and been taking it for Z doses/days... If you go in with concise outline of your needs they're going to respond in kind... My understanding from medical types is many less educated/experienced patients go in and it takes a longer time to extract their reason for being there and what they want.