Rad Rage Redux
(I must sound like I have a huge hate-on for my local radiologists. I don't. Really. They just get to me sometimes.)
Why is it that radiologists assume they're the first ones to see the patient? Do they think I just order studies over the phone (like the specialists; Ortho won't see them without X-rays, and you can't even get an appointment with a neurosurgeon without an MRI.) Guess what, guys: I really do EXAMINE THEM FIRST!!
Excited phone call from radiologist (on a Saturday, since he's not in during the week, and this can't wait):
OMG, Dino, this lady has the biggest abdominal mass I've ever seen!Uh, yeah; I know. I palpated it. She's been menopausal for 20 years and bleeding for the last 10, so my working diagnosis is endometrial cancer. It says so on the request I sent you. Is there anything else there? Liver mets? Retroperitoneal nodes? Omental implants?
Oh; wait, let me look. Yes, the mass is consistent with that. No; everything else looks fine. I'll get the report dictated right away.Um, thanks.
posted by #1 Dinosaur @ 9:50 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
That brings up another issue. There needs to be soooooo much better public awareness about endometrial cancer/post-menopausal bleeding. They push so much on osteoporosis, breast cancer, even people bitch and send chain emails that they want CA-125 as standard screening for ovarian cancer. And yet there's this one, that presents with symptoms...but as far as I can tell, most women *don't* know that post-menopausal bleeding can be extremely serious, and curable if caught in time. Why?
Hey, what ever happened to this patient? What's the follow-up? Just curious.
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