Hospital IGNORED my doc's PAP order!!!

[Komodo]

I had my gall bladder surgicaly removed yesterday.

Couple of weeks ago I went to my Pulmonologist for medical clearance for the surgery. He cleared me, WITH, an order to the hospital, to put me on CPAP as soon as I came out of the surgery. He told me to bring my own VPAP so there'd be no mistakes.

Last week I called the hospital to confirm they received my doctor's orders and to make SURE it would be ok to bring MY VPAP.
They said everything was fine.

When I got to the hospital yesterday for the surgery, with my machine, I was told I couldn't use my machine! They said I could use my mask, but HAD to use their CPAP. Fine, whatever, so long as I was getting some kind of PAP.

They put my mask on the gurney with me, and off I go to the O. R.

As I start to wake up in the recovery room, I'm having problems breathing and wonder where my CPAP is????
The hospital never used it!
I call the nurse, ask for my PAP, and she says I don't NEED it!!!
WHO is she to say my DOCTOR doesn't know what he's ORDERING for me!
I was FURIOUS!!!!
I still am!!!!

I tell the nurse that I WANT the PAP my DOCTOR ordered, and she said that by the time they get a unit in there, I'd be gone already.
I wonder if she meant I'd be DEAD by then!

By this time I was breathing fine by myself and no longer NEEDED the PAP, but I knew that was going to be the case. My doc only wanted me on it in the very begining to make it easier for me to recover.

I'll be calling my doctor latter today to report to him, how the hospital IGNORED his orders. He is NOT going to be happy, and neither is the person he rips into at the hospital!!!!

[Slinky]

In addition I would write a tactful, diplomatic letter to the head of the surgery department pointing out the lack of compliance w/your doctor's order and the concern and discomfort that caused you.

[chunkyfrog]

Can't cure stupid.

[nanwilson]

Some people think they know more than the doctors .
Hope you can raise supreme s....t via your doctor and a visit to the head nurse or head administraor.

[porkchop6]

Some people think they know more than the doctors .
Hope you can raise supreme s....t via your doctor and a visit to the head nurse or head administraor.

Most of the regular posters in this forum prove that statement to be true!

[chunkyfrog]

When it's a NURSE, there's every reason to raise holy heck.
The OP's doctor's orders were not followed.
That is a nurse's JOB, the last time I checked.

[greatunclebill]

nurses don't do anything without an order from the doctor in charge of you in the hospital. in this case i think the surgeon is in charge of your care, not your pulmonologist. if he chose to ignore the pulmonologist's cpap order, it's his decision and his responsibility. once your doctor hands you off to the surgeon, the surgeon is your doctor. my guess is there will be some words to calm you but the complaint goes nowhere. it might be best to discuss it with the surgeon when you have your post-op follow-up visit.

[DoriC]

Uncle Bill is right, once you're in the OR the surgeon is in charge of your case and issues the orders. We were lucky when Mike had his surgery, it was our surgeon who admitted him, (no referring Dr) and the OR nurses followed only his orders and when I saw him in Recovery, there he was all masked up with the machine/mask we brought from home A Recovery Room nurse had come and asked me for it while I was still in the waiting room.

[chunkyfrog]

So, a presurgery consult with the surgeon is a must.
You might also want to speak to the anesthesiologist, as your breathing is his responsibility as well.

[DoriC]

Right Chunky, I forgot that. The Anesth. came and talked to me just before the surgery started, asked a few questions about his machine, pressures, sleep study/titration results, how his therapy was going and asked if I had any questions for him. I felt very comforted by all the attention Mike was getting and I'm sure it all came from the surgeon's orders. This is an interesting topic.

[portiemom]

YOU CAN'T MAKE SENSE OF THE SENSELESS, is my new motto! I went in for a simple vental hernia repair, ended up having 5 new ventral hernias, and when I woke up in the recovery room they handed me off to some orderly that hit every bump including a 2 inch height difference going in to the elevator, and when we got to my room, she locked the gurney, leaned against the chest of drawers and said, "there's your bed now get in it." All I could do was get over in much pain and cry!!

[jlklinko]

Hi there
1) Hospitals are at the liberty of the attending doctors, your pulmonary doc did everything right.
2) Complaints to the Hospital Admin will cover the surgeon and all who preformed for surgery.
3) Be prepared if you do complain to be "po-poed", so to speak!

[thisguest]

to 'porkchop6', Ouch!! How unkind of you. We only try to help.

[xenablue]

Some people think they know more than the doctors .
Hope you can raise supreme s....t via your doctor and a visit to the head nurse or head administraor.

Most of the regular posters in this forum prove that statement to be true!

Because in regards to OSA and the accompanying therapy and treatment THEY DO know more than the doctors - which is why I come here and why both my neuro and endo ask me what new stuff I've learned about OSA since my last visit. I find the time to learn about my own medical conditions to take charge of my own health - no one cares about that as much as I do.

Cheers,
xena

[chunkyfrog]

Q: What do you call the person who averaged a C- in medical school?
A: Doctor.
Not everyone is lucky enough to get the valedictorian of his class.
Some of us wind up with the guy who barely graduated--or the one who cheated his way through;
or even the guy who is jaded, depressed, and just doesn't give a crap any more.