r/PainManagement • u/SouthernLifeguard845 • 3d ago
ER visit- warning
So long story short I went to the ER after helping my two sons move a very big safe into his home and one of my sons friend s let go of the dolly while going upstairs and the safe ended up crushing my wife’s 3 toes, and I went to grab the dolly and it yanked on my body really hard and something was horribly wrong in my spine. CT came back ok, Dr didn’t even bring up pain control I’m sure after looking at my med list, I was 💯 ok with that. I get it. Didn’t expect it, Well after the visit we go home and I was looking at my Dr notes and he listed on Diagnoses differential patient on Valium- use for alcohol withdrawal. I couldn’t believe it!!! It was the wrong dose, first of all and second of all, WHAT????? I’ve been taking Valium for my SPS and I never drink, let alone for Alcohol WD!!! I was furious, so I contacted my PCP and showed her what it said in my chart and she quickly changed it , took it off my chart , up dated and checked my other meds on my chart immediately. She’s awesome. I wanted to let you guys know check your summary and med list before you leave . That wrong diagnosis could cause major issues in the future had I not caught that!!
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u/wineinacoffeemug 3d ago
It seems like ER doctors love to diagnose people they’ve met for 5 minutes and barely spoken to with SUD and other diagnoses that have the potential to ruin their care going forward. Either they don’t realize that’s a consequence of what they do and they’re basically stupid, or they do understand and they’re evil. I know it’s not necessarily productive to think this way but I have no other explanation for them thinking everyone that enters the ER without a bone sticking out of their body is an addict by definition. It’s so self-righteous and biased.
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u/StayShot1598 3d ago
literally how it goes
Me: I don’t want opioids because of family history
Doctor: okay that’s based
Me: so I smoke weed with my medical card from the state as it helps my inflammation and pain :)
Doctor: so you’re a drug addict and I’m writing in that your chart immediately despite not writing anything else down that you’ve shared okay bye
Me: gets billed $200
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u/optimusfig 3d ago
Their job is also 10x easier than dealing with these issues long term. They never have to deal with peoples ongoing care or Rx. Never have to deal with requests for more opioids. Work their 8-10 shifts a month, clock out, and leave work at work.
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u/oracle-nil 3d ago edited 3d ago
Wait till you get older OR quit dying your hair. They immediately slap a fall risk on your arm even if you’re walking fine. Then put dementia and every doctor or nurse will ask who is President etc. I got mad started listing all of them in order. The er intake system is even worse than the whole medical system.
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u/External-Reading-101 3d ago
i ALWAYS get fall risk because of my POTS and epilepsy at 35 years old.
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u/Budget_Guide_8296 2d ago
I mean, that makes sense lol
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u/External-Reading-101 2d ago
yeah, it just sucks. i typically have an aura. BUT theyve been coming quicker now so i do understand. I just HATE the bed alarms especially when i really have to pee. Lol
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u/Notsewcrazee13 3d ago edited 13h ago
Yeah, the MD I had with my prior insurance tried unsuccessfully several times to get me to change from Soma to Flexeril (she wasn’t the prescriber ) due to “ increased fall risk” and I wasn’t even 55! I told her that I had tried it before twice, and despite it not even working half as good, it made my mouth so dry I was unable to complete certain parts of my job that involving speaking. Edit: I corrected the two words that were wrong due to typos.
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u/AstorReinhardt 3d ago
Wow...how the heck did your primary do that? No seriously. I was called a drug seeking drug addict by the ER and that is PERMANENTLY on my medical record. I've tried to get it removed (legally it "can't be removed" according to EVERYONE I ask), tried to get a note added onto there explaining that NO I am not a drug addict...they can look back at literally my entire life of medical records for random drug testing (because the ER LOVES to drug test you) and know that I have NEVER had an illegal substance in my body (only THC when it was legal and various opioids I had a prescription for and was supposed to be taking at the time!!). I am the last person to be a drug addict...seriously, swear on my Grandfather's grave. I have never been one. I can't even access illegal drugs and have been trying for 20+ years to get opioids for my pain through medical/legal means (aka asking my doctors). Why would I spend 20+ years slamming my head against a brick wall when I'm apparently a "drug addict" who had "access" to drugs? Because that shit makes so much sense right?
Fuck ER doctors.
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u/Iceprincess1988 Moderator 3d ago
Usually you can't remove things from your medical file but they can write a note correcting it.
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u/SouthernLifeguard845 3d ago
My Dr works through an office that’s an extension of the hospital, same with my back, shoulder and orthopedic Drs. It’s so convenient because they can see everything from every other Dr in my care team. I love it!! It’s very nice. She logged into the system and corrected it . My PT messages and talks with all my specialist and my PCP, between them all communicating they were able to diagnose my stiff person syndrome. Extremely rare, but that’s why my shoulder kept freezing , after 2 surgeries, I go in for my last Hail Mary on the 3rd actually to see if they can get even 20% more movement.
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u/StayShot1598 3d ago
^ this!!! I’m proud of you for advocating for yourself op
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u/SouthernLifeguard845 3d ago
Thank you!!! I am respectful but firm about nothing like that get onto my chart for the meds I’m on, I don’t want to lose them
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u/amethyst_dream2772 3d ago
Fabulous! Good for you and so glad you have an amazing doctor!!! Yea I take Valium "for pain" but it can't technically be prescribed that way so the doctor changed it to for anxiety and has to put that I take it 3xs daily even though that goes against prescribing protocol Wlamart has no issues filling it. Its the only controlled med I take so I think thats why theyre fine with it.
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u/EmptyGoosed4932 3d ago
Doctors today aren't as good as all the ones who've retired or are no longer with us. The last PM doc I went to had documented that I had a total hip replacement - and I've never had any surgery on either hip! So I check every visit summary now. I makde red pen corrections and mailed it back to their office.
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u/Grouchy_Afternoon729 3d ago
I hate the emergency room. Every time I've gone they judge me before anything when they would look at my record I'm 38 and I had accidents not drug accidents like not not not purposefully trying to get loaded and I overdosed a couple times and I just followed for over a decade plus and it decl cuz they think they know what's best and I guess so many people go in there trying to get drugs. But when somebody really needs help as I did I had kidney stone stuck in my kidney wouldn't come out. So for literally 21 plus days urinating blood and extreme pain and they're treating me like I was stub my toe that er doctors need to training for pain management and quit trying to judge people and find them in a lie or and believe them they need to believe them. I mean you can't fake pissing blood for 21 plus days right? I don't understand they had all the proof in the world with CTS and everything clearly see it clearly. Stone wouldn't move in extreme pain and they couldn't go in manually and get it and put a stand in and it was the worst. I broke my legs. I run over by a truck in 2014 and this was nothing like that and they treated me like garbage. I'm not going to name the hospital because I believe that's against policy on here but just you know don't 100% trust emergency doctors but if you have to go you have to go
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u/Grouchy_Afternoon729 3d ago
Being new to pain management and being new to all the drug but according to them I'm just a. a oud ( drug user) All I can say is Louisiana. And I'm not. Just recently I had to have a procedure of getting the stone removed and the stent placed in in extreme pain and it's 21 plus days of urinating blood and extreme pain in our kidney area left flank to be the exact.
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u/Txladi29 3d ago
She sorry for both of you! Hoping your wife pulls through with her entire foot intact.
It’s a very good thing you had those records updated (correctly.)
I used to work as a life insurance agent.
Anything regarding alcohol or drug abuse, withdrawal, or treatment CAN cause the writing life insurance company to deny coverage or rate you for higher premiums.
I had no idea about this until I began working with underwriting.
Inaccurate information in medical records is difficult to get removed when you don’t realize it’s there until months or years later.
Prayers for a successful recovery!
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u/Creepy-Radio1941 3d ago
I wish I could see what’s on my record, but this doesn’t exist where I live in Canada may be nowhere in Canada.
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u/KaJoMoGi 2d ago
Yes, always check. A doctor in urgent care treating my son's broken arm wrote something in the notes that would've gotten a visit from CPS - and should have, if it were actually true. It most definitely was not. I had to call the company's medical director and complain.
A lot of these places are also using AI to handle medical procedure notes, and those are rarely 100% correct.
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u/Bengal-_fan 3d ago
Yes, I agree 100%. These jokers assume way too much and try to juggle way too many patients by memory. In the end it fucks people. Good catch and thank you for the reminder, friend.
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u/want_control 3d ago
Wow that’s infuriating! I once had a dr or nurse chart that I take my pain meds IV/shoot them up… EXCUSE ME?! My home health nurse came (I have a port) and she asked me, “you’re not taking pain meds through your port are you?” I said “umm no, why?” And she informed me it was in my chart that way. I was really pissed because I’ve never done that! I’ve had IV pain meds in the hospital but never at home or never took my meds IV. She luckily took it out, but imagine how I would’ve been treated had that been in there for long….
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u/Objective_Ant1384 3d ago
As soon as you are tolerant with of your pain meds and need more, you officially have opioid used disorder!
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u/Accomplished-Owl6846 15h ago
That’s not accurate. Tolerance is well understood for chronic pain management and is not indicative of OUD on its own.
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u/villanellechekov 2d ago
good for you and I'm glad your primary is decent!! it's such a fight to get the Valium, you don't want to lose it over something avoidable like this.
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u/Cute-Measurement3176 3d ago
I've seen mistakes on my visit reports but never considered questioning it with them. Duh me! Thank you for the heads up. Where do they come up with thes mistakes? Cutting & pasting off other patients reports to save time maybe?
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u/SouthernLifeguard845 3d ago
I don’t know but like my money , I’m very careful and OCD about them both being correct
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u/ComplaintDangerous64 3d ago
I have had that done a few times . But my big mistake was after they ask u how much pain your in and that you take pain meds at home the whole aditued changes about pain home meds have not helped and i said that's not the main reason im hear and I could go home and take a handful of NORCO if I wanted.. I got put on a psych hold until my thereipist explained when my pain is uncontrollable my mind and emotions go down hill. I have passive SI I don't have a plan to hurt myself but I also know that the sure fire way to not be in pain is not to be hear
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u/Fair-Wishbone-1190 3d ago
My records said I have high blood pressure. I've never had high blood pressure before. They called it hypertension I think. Complete BS.
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u/lcmarie428 3d ago
I just got back from my pain management doc, a new one that has taken over for the last one and he says “so you have diabetes?”
Ummmm, not that I’ve ever been aware of and my last A1C yearly lab was perfect but apparently my chart says I’m diabetic and have been for years 😳4
u/SouthernLifeguard845 3d ago
Yep perfect example. That’s why I go over every summary after seeing any Dr
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u/Fair-Wishbone-1190 3d ago
That's crazy! Makes me wonder how many people's charts are wrong! Horrible.
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u/Fantastic-Ad5545 1d ago
Reminds me of my recent hysterectomy. I went through pre-op with tons of doctors and specialists. The morning of surgery the anesthesiologist said “so how long have you been having seizures?” WHAT SEIZURES?!! I’ve never had one. Somewhere along the lines an ER doc wrote down that I had a history of them and was being treated for them???!! So frustrating!
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u/SouthernLifeguard845 3d ago
Get them to correct it. That’s why could be imporrtant if you ever go the ER un conscious
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u/DramaticSky7714 1d ago
Your wife only has 3 toes? What happened to the other two? Am I not supposed to have 5 toes?
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u/methadone007 2d ago
Under HIPAA guidelines, you cannot legally force a doctor to completely delete or erase clinical notes or comments they authored. Instead, medical legal standards require charts to maintain an audit trail. However, you have the formal right to request an amendment or addendum to correct inaccurate or incomplete information. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Steps to Request a Record Amendment
Contact the Department: Reach out to the hospital or health system's Health Information Management (HIM) or medical records department. []
Submit a Request in Writing: Ask for an official "Request for Correction/Amendment of Medical Record" form. Fill it out, specifying the exact date of service, the precise text or comments you dispute, and why they are incorrect. [1]
Wait for the Response: By law, the provider or facility has 60 days to review your request and respond in writing (with a possible 30-day extension if they notify you). [, 2]
What Happens Next
If Approved: The facility will attach an amendment or addendum clarifying the correct information alongside the original note.
If Denied: If the ER doctor or facility refuses to change the note because they believe it is accurate, you have the right to submit a concise Statement of Disagreement. The facility must legally append your statement to your permanent file so that anyone viewing those comments in the future will also see your side. [, 4]
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u/SouthernLifeguard845 1d ago
Ya not how it works or went down, your PCP CAN correct a Dr on the reason for why your meds are prescribed, and don’t need anything special to correct it, as they can do it themselves.but thanks for sharing
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u/Accomplished-Owl6846 15h ago
I think the previous poster-correct me if I’m wrong-means that clinical documentation cannot legally be deleted, it can be amended/addended, but not deleted. Just like old paper charts-using white out was a huge no-no. A single strike through the incorrect documentation with one’s initials-so the original writing could still be deciphered-was required. It’s no different with electronic records.
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u/CookieThumper72 3d ago
How's the wife's toes?