My word should have been enough

[EthelsAuntie]

A couple of weeks ago, I was admitted to hospital. I had severe abdominal pain, no appetite, being violently sick, couldnt even keep water down. I hadn't been to the toilet for a wee or a poo for at least 24hrs.
The dr wanted to send me for an x-ray of my tummy but wouldn't send me until I got a confirmed negative on a pregnancy test.
I repeatedly told them that I wasn't pregnant. I knew that I wasn't pregnant. However because I'm married they said they needed to do the test. This seriously held up proceedings. They had to put me on a drip. They probably would have done that anyway. But they had to wait for hours until I was able to go for a wee. Then they did a test on it and only then did they request the X-ray because lo behold I was not pregnant.
It turned out to be extremely serious and I needed emergency surgery that took 5 hours.
AIBU to have felt very strongly that they should have taken my word for it. Make me sign something to say that I wasn't pregnant. Fine. Don't just dismiss me because I'm of childbearing age.
I also wonder what would have happened had I been pregnant. Neither I nor a fetus would have survived what the actual problem was had it been left untreated.
It was an awful time and I have to say the constant asking and not taking my word for it did not help. I was feeling like shit. I am a strong, intelligent woman in my 40s but I felt I didn't have a voice to be listened to.

YANBU OP.

I think it's just routine nowadays OP. They did it to me last time I was at A&E for something I think, even though I haven't had a lover for years.

I'd like to think that they'd check your records and see the hysterectomy and take that as proof.

If they couldn't do that, and you couldn't wee, they should've done an ultrasound instead.

They absolutely should not have made you wait 5 hours.

@TheYearOfSmallThings

Utter waste of money time and resources but they seem to do it as a matter of course

In fairness if you just produce even a dribble of urine they can test it in seconds and the test costs pennies. Enough tests come back positive that it is not a waste of resources.

A dribble of wee isn't enough for an accurate result.

The thing about pregnancy is there is no obvious parallel 'condition' (for want of a better word) for men.

But if there was, or if men got pregnant, I am fairly certain men would be taken at their word.

If it were a case of they had to do the scan/op immediately or you'd die, rather than it being ok to wait a few hours as they did, I imagine they would've done it rather than waiting.

I have had a Hysterectomy and they still insisted on a pregnancy test, you do wonder about the thought process( or lack of) that goes through their heads.

A dribble of wee isn't enough for an accurate result.

It is accepted where I work, rightly or wrongly. The test is not a stick, just a litmus type strip.

You have had a hysterectomy? In which case, YADNBU. Insane.

I think asking the question and ideally wanting proof is reasonable because there are women who genuinely think they aren't pregnant and are (I thought my fertility issues were getting worse and that rather than have fertility treatment for my second baby I was probably going to be force to have a hysterectomy.... I was pregnant).

But the care here has failed because

1. Hysterectomy!
2. If your condition means you can't pee on a stick, an alternative test for pregnancy via a blood test should have been undertaken
3. You made it clear you would choose yourself over a hypothetical pregnancy so a simple waiver making it clear that you accepted the death of the foetus (if there was one) should have been sufficient.

Yabu. They had to check. You be surprised how many women are pregnant without knowing. Hope you feeling better now

Generally I think they should check. In the case of a hysterectomy what they should check are your medical records.

[quote MrsPetty]@SolasAnla 😂 wow! I never even considered immaculate conceptions! The doctor was dead right to hold out for the test 😂[/quote]
@MrsPetty

If one has no belief in immaculate conception should Mary take the test...

If one has a belief in immaculate conception should all women except Mary take the test...

🤷🏼‍♀️

Im a surgical nurse. The forms we fill in pre-surgery are legal documents, stating we have gone over everything required prior to surgery if someone is alert and conscious. One of the questions is a negative test that we have to have done, and in some cases have double signed by another member of staff ensuring it is negative. Signing that document without completing the test is risking our pin, we cannot take someone words for it.

*Hmm, if I was in an emergency situation, I'd want my own health to be prioritised over a potential foetus, even if there wasn't a direct risk to my life. Damage to quality of life caused by delays is important too, not just whether or not you survive.

I also feel it should be my choice to make that decision, not the healthcare professionals'. I agree with the OP that there should be a waiver you can sign to say you accept the risks if you actually do turn out to be pregnant.*

Wholeheartedly agree. I’ve had hcps treat me like a child, tell me I couldn’t possibly know my own body despite tracking my periods, moods, and times I have had sex for years. Had them tell me xyz caused this when I told them I’ve had the problem before xyz. Even when pregnant, I had these issues to the point of negligence and forced consent from me on their part that nearly killed my oldest when even tests said things were normal.

I can live with my choices whether they go right or wrong because it is my body and would happily sign a waiver. What I have had to come to terms with is people making decisions for me against my will and consent, things going wrong, and having to live with the consequences knowing that was the case and preventable.

I’m afraid medicolegally nobody will take your word for it.

You could have been pregnant and simply not known.

It’s not as easy as “taking your word for it” a missed ectopic that could have killed you wouldn’t have been good for anyone. I don’t think anyone will take your word against their GMC number. In the same way governing bodies don’t accept people’s word over solid evidence.

To give you proper care a test was needed, I wouldn’t expect any less.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

@SolasAnla I really won’t get started on my biblical views … I was joking. I’d have been asking for a paternity test more than a pregnancy test in Mary’s case. But that’s the atheist in me …

We have experience of medical negligence and I would say that sounds grim.

Complain to PALS, and recognise that feeling of helplessness and struggling to get past it as trauma. Listening is at the heart of care. You deserve an apology and to know if there was risk for your health outcomes. If so, they need a policy change, and your speaking up will help to keep other safe.

So much misinformation on this thread and an absolutely enormous drip feed from the OP about her hysterectomy!

Abdominal pain in women of a child bearing age has various differential diagnoses and one of them is ectopic pregnancy. This can be ruled out by a negative pregnancy test.

If the OP really feels that the delay to image her risked her life (abdominal X-rays have very low diagnostic value so I can't imagine that to be the case) then she needs to go to PALS and ask them to investigate.

There is national guidance about offering pregnancy testing to all biological females >12 pre-procedure under GA. This is because a general anaesthetic while pregnant poses additional risks to the mother (and is why elective surgery is generally postponed), the risk of miscarriage and risks to the fetus from potential teratogenicity. In my institution however a hysterectomy would exclude you from this requirement.

I work primarily in paediatrics. We turn up an unexpected positive pregnancy test in our elective surgical population a few times a year. People lie about their risks of pregnancy.

I've also recently dealt with a complaint about a transgender teen who had had no surgery/ hormone treatment who objected to being asked to have a pregnancy test but there is good data that actually transgender teens are more likely to have an unwanted teen pregnancy than their peers. It is thought that barriers to seeking contraception may play a part - if you are presenting as male it makes it harder to say actually I'm having penis in vagina sex and am at risk of getting pregnant so I need to take the OCP.

If people can't produce urine to take a pregnancy test or decline it then I take a a very careful history about why they think they might not be pregnant. Those questions might be uncomfortable/ embarrassing but they prevent me and my institution from getting sued. We are also working on having rapid near patient blood pregnancy tests ( a lab one takes hours to come back) but are having problems getting the tests institutional approval.

The national guidance for ruling out pregnancy prior to radiation exposure are different - I think it is a series of questions that need to be asked but I don't know all the ins and outs of it as my expertise is with patients undergoing anaesthesia.

YABU. I was pretty fucking certain I wasn't pregnant too when I went for an X-Ray, the nurses didn't take my word for it, I had to do a test and lo and behold it was positive!

And a waiver means jack shit.

If the negative consequence happens all you have to do is claim that as the patient you didn't fully understand the risks when you were signing it and you would be successful medico legally.

I would never accept one. Patients offer frequently - most common situation is if they have buggered up their pre-operative fasting times.

It's the same with anti d for babies of a mum who's O neg.
The medical profession is not allowed to take a woman's word for it when she says her dh is negative too because who knows if it's the dh's baby.

My 12 year old has to have a pregnancy test before her tonsillectomy, it's standard.

Don't know why they couldn't confirm with a blood draw though?

Of course they have to check. It doesn't take much thought to see all the reasons why as mentioned by others above.

Yabu and I say that as someone who nearly died due to a burst appendix. They have to check if you are pregnant. People conceal pregnancies and that can be fatal too. People can be pregnant and not realise, and that can be fatal too. I know someone who nearly died due to an ectopic pregnancy and she was convinced couldn’t possibly have been pregnant right up until they were rushing her to theatre.

Hope you feel better soon.

@EthelsAuntie

Sorry, those who think that I am too thick to understand why they did it. I do understand the risks but it would have been my choice to go ahead. I am needed by my alive children. Fine make me sign a waiver to say that this was my decision but it should have been my decision. I seriously could have died because of this wait.

Its to do with accountability. They have a duty of care to be certain you are not at risk. They were right to ask you to do the test. As for a waiver i don’t think it would leagually binding. Glad it worked out for you in the end.