Friday, August 9, 2013
Mommy's Little Helper
Last night I got a call from the surgical unit regarding one of my partners patients. The nurse explained that the patient was not having good pain control the "10 out of 10" thing. I asked what she had for pain and it seemed very adequate for the surgery. I then asked what the patients home meds where. The patient had admitted that she had "fibro" and was taking oxycodone 4 times a day and had been for years. My partner who is very astute had ordered a drug screen as part of the pre-op labs. This was positive for benzo's and amphetamines. I had to go in and have the talk where I explain that chronic narcotic use causes your pain receptors to go bezerk and that even the slightest pain will be amplified and that it is essential to seek treatment to come off the narcotics. I also had to explain that because of this it will be hard to keep her pain under controlled. We later found out that the patient was taking her kids adderal and what was worse was that she was a teacher! We have no idea where she got the benzos.
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3 comments:
Nice to see you back Throckmorton. :)
I have a couple of questions and comments.
I've been thinking about this ever since I first read this post.
Since you wrote this last post - I've come in and out ..in and out of here ... circling around it but never landing.
Bottom line for me is I hope that because I have had to take Percocet in the past for ureteral stents (intermittently) and now for serious knee pain (intermittently), that it will not hinder my recuperating from a total knee replacement in the fall. That it will still help me get through the initial rough days post op when I am home. But if it still helps now - then I would think it will still help me then.
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