Counting to three – three patient encounters
The summary page of the Baylor clinic’s electronic medical record contains most all of the information one needs to guide a patient visit, including an “issues for follow-up” box.
One morning last week, I saw three patients with the following issues for follow-up.
Patient #1, age 3 years: “Cough; mother died.”
Patient #2, age 8 months “On TB treatment; mom died 7/7/07; thrush”
Patient #3, age 4 months: “Mother deceased (need to clarify TB status of mom); pneumonia, HIV DNA PCR pending”
A year ago I would hear a word like “body count” and think of crime dramas or war documentaries.
Now that I have done the counting myself, I just think of people my age or younger who have died, many of them leaving parentless children.
These are too many parentless children here.
Still, the counting continues.
--
I hope that I continue to get better at what I am doing.
I hope that we continue to do more and more.
I hope that some day there is more counting down and less counting up.
I hope this dearly.
One morning last week, I saw three patients with the following issues for follow-up.
Patient #1, age 3 years: “Cough; mother died.”
Patient #2, age 8 months “On TB treatment; mom died 7/7/07; thrush”
Patient #3, age 4 months: “Mother deceased (need to clarify TB status of mom); pneumonia, HIV DNA PCR pending”
A year ago I would hear a word like “body count” and think of crime dramas or war documentaries.
Now that I have done the counting myself, I just think of people my age or younger who have died, many of them leaving parentless children.
These are too many parentless children here.
Still, the counting continues.
--
I hope that I continue to get better at what I am doing.
I hope that we continue to do more and more.
I hope that some day there is more counting down and less counting up.
I hope this dearly.
Labels: Patient encounters
posted by Ryan @ 12:40 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Hi Ryan,
This is not easy to write after reading your posting today, words seems so powerful and so helpless at the same time.
I am working with an organisation called Paediatric AIDS Treatment for Africa (PATA) or teamPATA. There is due to be a conference at the end of november in Swaziland.
Would you consider allowing us to link from http://www.teampata.org website to Pediatrician in Swaziland?
You can contact me directly on marco@teampata.org if i can be of any further help
Keep up your Good Work!
Marco
Of course. I will link and post on the conference if you can send me the info. I sent you an email at the address you gave me. -ryan
Amen, cuz. Take care of yourself.
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