Thread: Public hospital system..A real eye opener

Originally Posted by Eevo

yeah, if you have chest pains, call an ambo.

2 patients arrive at hospital both with shortness of breath.

1 arrives by ambo
1 arrives by any other mean.

ambo will be admitted first almost everytime.

Not true.

While they are on an ambulance trolley, they are being cared for by health professionals, ambulances these days can wait for hours before they get to unload their patients.

The patient arriving at the triage desk with the same symptoms has no one to observe them so may get an ED bed before the ambulance arrival.

Diana

Correct, from my own experiences. - I've always taken myself down there... Last time (yes, not a false alarm) the Triage Nurse just took my Medicare card before being whisked away to be wired, punctured and watched.

In a suburban public hospital.

I've got a very high opinion of Nurses... From ED to CCU.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

It happens to all of us, I was doing a night shift in the ICU of a major Sydney teaching hospital when a colleague said that I just went green as a bout of renal colic hit. I was sent down to ED where the Doc ordered morphine and at the same time was sent to the holding area. 45 minutes later still in agony but no morphine, I'm not proud of it, but I suggested to the RN in a not too friendly tone, "Whats the problem, are you growing the opium?" there were a few other expletives used. Sometimes you have to lose one's cool.

Yes, renal calculi can be exquisite pain.

Yes.

Morphine is wonderful stuff, eventually... Mine dropped me in a matter of minutes...to total inability to function at any level... (except compliance, I'm told...)

My post-op Nurse - who'd had both - readily agreed that childbirth was so much more comfortable ...

Originally Posted by Eevo

yes, i understood. he should've stayed at home and called for an ambulance.

That would be okay if he lived in the town but you need a 4WD to get into his place at times, so he would have to drive down and meet them on the road, so better just drive right in. Any way, all is well now

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

.................................................. ....
Yes, renal calculi can be exquisite pain.

I remember it very well, I was 6 hours in the Ryde (NSW) hospital with pain and the doctors did not want to give me any pain killers because the chance that I was a drug addict waiting for a "free shot"
After the pain and suffer for 6 hours they called a specialist who immediately injected me pain killers and said that renal calculi is one of the most severe pains that can suffer the human body and that in same cases the pain leave marks in the hearth.
In my case it left marks in my hearth

Since living in oz I've been to hospital twice and on both occasions I could not fault the system
The first time was for a kidney stone, I'd been writhing in agony for hours at home saying "it'll be alright in a minute " My wife rung our doctor at home in the evening and he immediately diagnosed "kidney stone - get to hospital" My wife took me to the emergency dept and they took me straight in for treatment on arrival. After two days on a ward I managed to spit out a 5mm stone Gee that hurt at the time, wouldn't wish that experience on anyone. 10/10 for the staff

My second visit started about 3 months ago after the discovery of a tumor following a colonoscopy I was immediately placed as a cat one patient for an operation following lots more tests etc. Every visit was a pleasant one and only on one occasion did I have to wait 2-3 hours, big deal I can read a book.
To cut a long story short, I had my op two weeks ago and I'm just about recovered from it. Tomorrow I go for a final check up and fingers crossed I'm cancer free Once again I cannot fault any of the staff in the hospital and cannot thank them enough. Excellent 10/10

I think of all my recent visits I only saw one person who was really loud and abusive to staff I did observe lots of notices saying that "abuse will not be tolerated"

By crikie those stones give you some hurry up.
I have had 1/2 a dozen or so.
First time I didn't know what was going on so I went to the Doctors, I forget what we did.
After that I grinned and stood it untill it was over. I found that taking a couple of Panadol and 2 Buscopan made it sufferable.
The last one was in June 2010, I couldn't cope with that one so called an Ambulance and went to ED. They found I had a 12mm stone. I couldn't pass that bugger. Eventually they went thru me tool and crushed and bagged it. Embarrassing but what the hell.
I realised that during winter I wasn't drinking as much water, so now I drink 2 or 3 ltrs a day without any further problems.
I recognise the symtems now so if I get a slight twinge in the kidney's I immediatley drink a litre or so of cold water which so far have stopped any forming.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

ambulances these days can wait for hours before they get to unload their patients.

depending on the casualty of the person in the in the ambo.