Yesterday, a physician asked my opinion if a patient needed a colonoscopy. My partner was already on the case and I was covering over the weekend. The facts suggested that a colonoscopy was warranted. The patient had a low blood count and had received blood transfusions. Certainly, a bleeding site in the colon, such as a cancer, might be responsible. We do colonoscopies to address similar circumstances on a regular basis. Why did my partner and I demur in this case? We Placed this Sign on the Patient Because to us, our medical judgment trumped the medical facts. First, the patient was elderly and extremely debilitated. The challenge of having an individual in her state ingest the necessary laxatives is likely insurmountable. If any readers have enjoyed the delight of guzzling down a colonoscopy prep, contemplate doing so as an elderly, ailing and bedbound individual. I asked the physician if the patient’s family would consent to surgery if a cancer was found.
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