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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

hospital saying I should have informed them

93 replies

Mharhi · 16/05/2012 19:11

about my previous medical history on admission to A and E? I just got back a complaint response and apparently it may have made a difference if I 'had alerted staff to my previous colonoscopy' when I came into casualty. However I was in a lot of pain, bleeding and taking tramadol, just felt at the time up to answering what they asked me. And what they asked was very specific "have you a history of inflammatory bowel disease?" then came back and said "sorry they forgot to ask had I ever had bowel cancer or family history of it?"

Now they are saying I didn't make them aware of a benign tumour which was in the colonoscopy report...argh..

Shouldn't they have a checklist or something to ask people? I already feel so bad I didn't alert them, I didn't know the report was important or was aware the lesion mentioned was a tumour...

I also would have thought the person checking me in should have checked out on the computer my past records?

OP posts:

alphabite · 16/05/2012 19:13

ummm. It sounds like something you should have mentioned to be honest.
Was there anyone with you who could have mentioned it if you were in too much pain?

1950sHousewife · 16/05/2012 19:16

It depends. What did you go in for? If it was for a cut on the ear, then a colonoscopy wouldn't be that relevant. But if it was for anything around the gut area then I would definitely have mentioned it.

And as to going back through notes, yes, computer records are useful but if they really need you to help flag things up as well.

Sorry you are going through a rough time though.

EclecticShock · 16/05/2012 19:17

You probably should have mentioned it but I can see by you migh not under the pressurised circumstances. Hope you're doing better.

Principality · 16/05/2012 19:19

You probably should have metnioned it... if you were concious and coherrant.

Tarmadol can really space people out, to the point where they can't hold a sensible conversation. It can cause dizziness, sickness and disorientation. I think that you should point this out to them and say that whilst with hindsight it would have been prudent to bring it up, you were taking tramadol and incapable of reason

BreastmilkDoesAFabLatte · 16/05/2012 19:19

Whenever I need to go to A&E, I always make sure I mention everything of possible relevance... I'd rather risk annoying or boring them with excessive or irrelevant details than allowing them to misunderstand or overlook something. And the vast majority of the time, hospital staff have been grateful for a thorough history.

But without more details, it's hard to know if YABU.

Iteotwawki · 16/05/2012 19:21

Often it's not possible to check past investigations, letters, test results etc on the computer system and the paper notes aren't available in A&E immediately.

If you've had an investigation which may be relevant to the reason you're in A&E then yes, you should definitely mention it.

May I suggest that when you're feeling better, you write out a short summary of your general health including tablets (and dosage) that you are taking and any investigations you've had with the result if known. Print it out and keep it in an envelope somewhere.

That way if you are too unwell to think straight for a subsequent hospital attendance, you can hand over your summary. Makes things very much easier on everyone and is less likely to lead to things being missed. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Yeahthatsnotgonnahappen · 16/05/2012 19:22

I'm with alphabite on this sorry. I think that you should have let them know. You knew you had had an investigation which was relevant to the area which was now causing you a problem - I think it was up to you to let them know.

Hope that you're well on your way to recovery now

bruxeur · 16/05/2012 19:22

You're assuming that your hospital notes are stored electronically. Most places still use big old paper files that can take hours to reach A+E.

Northernlurker · 16/05/2012 19:24

Did you go in with rectal bleeding? Yes you should have mentioned it in that case. They asked two questions about your gut - that should have been enough of a prompt really. A&E staff frequently send for your notes but they don't have time to read them all immediately. They are in a very difficult situation and it sounds like they asked you about your bowel and you said you'd had no problems. If you're concerned about this happening again write your history on a card and take it with you then you just have to hand it over. That's what I've known patients with complex histories do.

VivaLeBeaver · 16/05/2012 19:28

Yep. Notes not available on the computer in many/most hospitals. Your notes may not actually stored in the hospital. Our hospital store them 50 miles away.

Saying that I do think that hospitals should at the end of asking specific questions ask if there is anything else that you think they ought to know about.

When my dad was admitted they asked him loads of stuff on a checklist, diabetes, BP problems, etc. He said no to all of them and nurse said great and started walking off. I called the nurse back and said that she might like to know that my dad had epilepsy. That question wasn't on the list - but if he'd had a fit, especially as he goes into status epilepticus, then they wouldn't have known what was wrong. Thankfully I was there as my dad wasn't well enough to think straight.

PeanutButterCupCake · 16/05/2012 19:33

Yes you should have mentioned it.

iguanadonna · 16/05/2012 19:46

Yep, all patients being admitted to A&E should be prepared to give a full, coherent history of their own case, highlighting those matters most likely to be relevant to their current condition. Anything they omit or misunderstand will be noted and held against them.

Northernlurker · 16/05/2012 19:51

Well iguana - you see the mindreading powers of most A&E staff are fairly limited........

bruxeur · 16/05/2012 19:53

When NHS cuts come, the telepathy bill is often the first thing to go :(

BackforGood · 16/05/2012 20:06

Agree with everyone else. If I were going in with anything that might be slightly related - or, tbh, ifeven if I thought it wasn't - I'd tell them. I kind of like the idea that the medical staff treating me know as much about me as I can tell them, and then let them decide if it affects this time or not.

PeachyPossum · 16/05/2012 20:11

As someone who has been there and done it with reg colonocopy and A&E, if I were admitted with rectal bleeding I would tell them. esp when asked questions reg cancer etc. Sorry.

Original poster

Mharhi · 16/05/2012 20:15

Aargh, I wish I had told them. The thing is at the time I was told there was a lesion that was nothing to worry about, (benign) however it actually turned out to have caused lots of problems. It was a few years ago and I'd sort of forgotton about it.

I do think they should have generally asked me about my medical history though instead of asking me such specific questions about IBD and cancer. I didn't realise, I just thought they'd look you up and see.

OP posts:

bruxeur · 16/05/2012 20:16

I find it quite hard to believe that they didn't open with "any medical problems?" or something similar. Of course as you said you were in pain and on Tramadol at the time.

Sirzy · 16/05/2012 20:22

I agree with the poster who suggested having it all written down ready for you to hand over if you have to go in again.

Our hospital has all the records stored off site. This means that when DS goes in we have to give his whole history each time for them to write down until his full notes are taxied over.

Llanbobl · 16/05/2012 20:23

For someone spaced out and in a lot of pain you have excellent recall of the specific question they asked you. Seems strange that you remember that with such clarity but were too out of it to mention a colonoscopy (it's not something you're likely to forget).

Still as the NHS are introducing the Summary Care Record (emergency care summary in Scotland) you'll not need to worry about it in the future

Original poster

Mharhi · 16/05/2012 20:25

Yes at 4am having been unable to sleep or eat for several days with bleeding and pain from a bowel obstruction which the GPs have (probably wrongly) given opiate painkillers for after waiting for hours I was greeted with "So what can we do for you at this time in the morning?" and then another random doctor blundering back in to ask about family cancer history, IBD and my husbands troubles with it (crohns). They've even written in my notes "No IBD, night sweats, weight loss, husband has crohns"

OP posts:

butthatsnotfair · 16/05/2012 20:25

I think you should have mentioned the previous investigations you had. But I can also understand how you misunderstood the results of your colonoscopy. Doctors sometimes don't feed back your results very well, or dumb them down so you understand, which can actually lead to more confusion.

I had a borderline cyst / tumour on my ovary that some doctors referred to as a tumour and some referred to as a cyst and it proper confused me. I'm still not exactly sure WHAT it was? Or if there is even a difference?

So I can see how you would assume a benign lesion was unimportant, especially if a doctor told you it was. A tumour sounds like something far worse than a lesion to the untrained lay person!

5318008 · 16/05/2012 20:25

well I wouldn't know that a lesion is medical speak for tumour

iguanadonna · 16/05/2012 20:26

Getting case history out of patients is difficult - even when they are conscious, relaxed, and have had time to prepare. In emergency situations it's always going to be extra hard. A&E staff have to take responsibility for this part of their job. They can't start blaming patients who have missed the significance of a medical intervention or result.

Original poster

Mharhi · 16/05/2012 20:26

Yes I have my medical notes and my partner was with me so can go back over it all Llanbobl

OP posts:

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