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Cold GP

2 replies

optimistic47 · 03/03/2025 23:52

Tonight I waited for an evening appointment. It was for 5.30pm but I waited another 40 minutes because of dealys. I've had a serious viral infection for 3 weeks which has required time off work. My GP crosses her arms and speaks to me like a headmistress. Last year I was diagnosed with pneumonia. Her colleague wrote this on sick certificates to my former employee as 'community acquired pneumonia'. Now she admits that it's a 'grey area' and as there wasn't any chest x-ray at the time they've changed my records to say that it was classed lower tract infection. That's not what I was told at the time, it clearly said I had pneumonia but tonight the surgery have tweeked my records. I've been stressing about repercussions from my diagnosis last year as I've had breathing issues this month, resulting in nosebleeds and choking and it was really upsetting. When I was taken by ambulance last year they said I had bad flu, but the colleague of the GP tonight said to me I had pneumonia. Am I wrong to feel disappointed with my GPs for their lack of empathy and for clutching at short straws?

OP posts:
DPotter · 04/03/2025 00:26

This maybe something as simple as a clinical coding issue with your notes.

Patients' diagnoses and treatments are reviewed and given codes so that data can be gathered and used for planning etc. I'm a little rusty and community care wasn't my area but it is possible that the closest clinical code for 'community acquired pneumonia' was 'lower respiratory tract infection' so the illness episode was given that code, and this has fed back into your notes. So basically they could be one and the same thing.

I'm sorry you have been unwell for so long and I hope you have some treatment, but I wouldn't take this 'change' in diagnosis as anything to worry about. It's certainly not a reflection on you

HipHipWhoRay · 04/03/2025 06:42

They’re the same thing. Pneumonia is a bit of an old expression, from pre antibiotic era.
Generally now referred to as lower respiratory tract infections, or chest infections.

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