4 ms·
Dude, I'm just addressing this: "So things that can look like anemia can be other things! Case in point, my wife was misdiagnosed for months with Anemia." Whic
by danachow 4y ago
Dude, I'm just addressing this: "So things that can look like anemia can be other things! Case in point, my wife was misdiagnosed for months with Anemia."
Which is a bit of a confused statement.
> Saying this patient was "correctly diagnosed with anemia" would be like diagnosing a cancer patient currently undergoing chemotherapy with male pattern baldness.
No, that's a pretty shit analogy and completely wrong. First, because chemotherapy doesn't cause "male pattern baldness" - the mechanisms aren't the same. So that's just wrong - while someone with a hemoglobin of 4 has anemia, whatever the underlying cause may be - it isn't a look alike - it is.
Second, diagnosing Alopecia (secondary to chemotherapy) is a perfectly reasonable diagnosis. Because it is something that doctors do manage with specific things separately from the chemotherapy and other cancer treatment, eg wigs, scalp cooling.
People can have more than one relevant diagnosis that they are treated for and are interrelated. For instance, if someone has anemia that is due to something like a GI bleed, they have both a GI bleed and anemia. If their hemoglobin is less than 7 you will likely treat that anemia with a blood transfusion independent of what you're doing to manage the GI bleed.
GI bleed, iron deficiency, malabsorption, microcytic anemia are all diagnoses - they may be all interrelated.
> A more accurate and helpful diagnosis would probably be something like "Babesiosis"--anemia caused by ticks
But babesiosis is not anemia. It often occurs with it, but the diagnostic criteria for babesiosis is blood smear or PCR. If someone has a smear positive for babesia then they have babesiosis regardless of their Hgb/Hct.
And notably they listed a bunch of tick borne illnesses listed, babesiosis was not among them.
- Pigalowda 4y ago
- danachow 4y ago> I’m sure you’re here to rub your reflex hammer in our ignorant little pig faces. I do realize there are a lot of crappy doctors out there, but about the person putting a reflex hammer in your face -- are you sure that was an actual doctor? To your other point, while I often realize the futility of responding to the direct commenter, this is a public forum so maybe others can get some information or entertainment, whatever might be.
- Pigalowda 4y ago
- haldujai 4y agoAs a physician I am in complete agreement with danachow’s statements. A hemoglobin of 4 must be corrected irrespective of the underlying etiology. Furthermore, I am also in complete agreement that such a patient without obvious source for anemia requires a hematology consultation. That may be the only error that happened here. I would greatly welcome your rationale as to how we can safely discharge a symptomatic patient with a Hgb of 4 as this directly contradicts all of my medical training. In fact, I would lose my license if I ever did that. If you happen to know information about anemia I do not, please provide your rationale.
- com2kid 4y agoI've gone into the doctor with a BP of 160/90 and a headache that had been with me for 3 days. After asking some scary questions and ruling out that I wasn't going to die then and there, I was sent on my way and told good luck. I figured out myself that the problem was a potassium deficiency. I hadn't eaten any leafy greens in a week or two (lots of veggies, just none that had significant levels of potassium) and I don't normally eat any processed food. A couple handfuls of baby spinach later and my headache was gone. A lack of effort in diagnosis is the norm, not the exception. I have plenty of other stories! As does damn nearly every one else. Computer techs don't bother diagnosing PC problems and just prescribe a reboot. Many Doctors seem to have the same attitude, but for the patient things are a bit more personal.