Indexing Title:  HABalucating 06-08

MAR Title: Loose Talks

Date of Medical Observation: September 2006

Narration

While Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is administered to one of our post-operative patient secondary to gunshot wound, a woman grabbed me by the arm.

 I was surprised that she called me by my first name.

I know it was inappropriate for me to ask her who she was so I tried hard recollecting where I met her, while simultaneously listening to her as she bombarded me with several inquiries regarding the patient whom we were administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

It took me several seconds before I was able to recognize her.  She was one of my Pediatric residents back in the hospital where I had my internship.  The patient, incidentally, was her relative.

“Bakit ganun?  Ano ba nangyari? Akala ko ba ipa-MRI nyo? Sigurado ka bang  walang nagdudugo sa loob? Ilang epi ba ang ibinibigay nyo?”

At that time, I knew that I should at least respond to her questions and at the same time, be cautious in answering her.

“Critical po kasi yung kondisyon nya pagkatapos ng O.R.  Pinakamaganda nyan tanungin po ninyo yung senior ko. Sya po kasi ang surgeon nya…”

I was not sure if that was the suitable answer but that was the best answer I could come up with.

I slowly walked away from her as soon as I had the chance.

She than went back to her other relatives who were already grieving at that time.  I noticed that she was talking to them and judging by her body movement, I presume she was questioning our findings and management. 

Resuscitation was continued but the patient expired.

After a few minutes, I heard that the family was planning to file a legal suit against the doctors and the hospital.

Insights (Stimulus, Discovery, Reinforcement) (Physical, Psychosocial, Ethical)

“Parang nakalimutan na nilang may bumaril sa pasyente…”

That is what my senior resident have commented after that incident.

It is true that the most common cause of medicolegal pitfalls is the loose talks among doctors.

If not for the comments done by my former resident, which I believe has no basis, the family would have not even thought of filing a legal suit against us.

During that time, I was also put into a situation where my comment would have been used against the department, myself included.

One lesson I have learned from this experience is to be careful in the way I talk about my colleagues, particularly my co-residents.  It is part of my responsibility to protect the integrity of the medical practice and all the people involved in it.