I have seen many alcoholics during my gastroenterology career. It is likely in the majority of cases that I was not aware of their abuse history. Patients often deny or minimize their alcohol history when queried. “Do you use alcohol regularly?” “Only socially.” At this point the physician and the patient engage in a linguistic tete-a-tete on the precise meaning of ‘socially’. Patients are more forthright about their habits when they have a medical condition that has a clear an obvious connection to alcohol, such as jaundice or liver injury. And, if family members are present, they often serve as fact checkers and truth tellers. What is my approach to these patients? Do I wave my arms and preach like an evangelist that they should throw their bottles away? Do I tell them that they must quit or face medical damnation? Do I threaten to sever them from my practice if they persist with their addiction? I...
MD Whistleblower presents vignettes and commentaries on the medical profession. We peek 'behind the medical curtain' and deliver candor and controversy in every post.