A trauma story

January 9, 2008

Burns, fractures, eye penetrations, and gang activity. Another exciting read of a trauma in the ER. This time, it ends with a sad twist:

Later I found out that the guy, unfortunately didn’t have insurance…and the ortho procedure he required involved a series of operations, close follow-up, and specialized equipment. And because orthopods don’t work (much) for free…especially when the patient is a high risk patient (high risk meaning not likely to be compliant, and more likely to sue, as determined by his lifestyle…and according to them, it’s the poor, uninsured, disenfranchised, non-contributor to society that’s likely to try and take something that doesn’t belong to them…and is therefore more likely to sue). So, no orthopod in the City would do his surgery…



Related posts:

  1. The non-compliant patient
  2. Is trauma surgery a viable specialty?
  3. Would you rather have an older or younger trauma surgeon?
  4. FPs doing trauma surgery?
  5. Is perfection in medicine really the best thing?
  6. Head trauma and bicycling
  7. OB malpractice in China: Same old story


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