It bugs me to no end when patients try to talk to me when I'm listening to their chest:
1) I cannot hear them at all
2) It makes it harder to hear their heart/lungs
3) When I tell them to stop, they rarely do
Public Service Announcement: Do NOT talk to your doctor when she's listening to your chest!
Well then don't ask me questions while you're doing that. I assume you want an answer!
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty hard to ask a question while wearing a stethoscope in your ears.
DeleteFizzy I don't like your blog anymore because you have only gotten more bitter and resentful over time, Fizzy. Your blog used to be FUN to read. Now, it sucks to read--all you do is complain! I think you should create a new blog for your own personal complaining, honestly it's getting really old. Keep this blog fun and light-hearted, PLEEEASE!
ReplyDeleteAnd why no cartoons! Also, your blog makes too much noise, don't you know people are trying to sleep????
DeleteI still like your blog!
Delete(And at least I've never had a doctor ask me a question while they were listening with a stethoscope. I've had so many dentists ask questions with their hands or tools in my mouth!)
A different anon.
Hmmmm...I do believe that this is her own personal blog. :-p
DeleteFor the record, this drives me nuts, too. I've been known to resort to Dr. Evil shshsh....on patients who try to talk while I'm using stethoscope.
Then stop reading.
DeleteBlah to the commenters above.
ReplyDeleteThis is very annoying though, and I don't ask questions while I'm auscultating because I can't hear what the patient is saying one way or the other. It's also really loud.
Well.. to anyone practicing medicine daily, this is just so true.
ReplyDeleteYou and OrthoChick need to get together. She has people staring and regularly commenting on her chesticular region. (Per comedian/actor Paul Reiser: men have testicles...women have chesticles..)
ReplyDeleteI once volunteered at a hospital and talked to a couple of kids through the stethoscope. They seemed to have a lot of fun with it.
ReplyDeleteMy three-year-old (who never stops talking) totally stops talking when he sees/uses a stethoscope. I think he picked it up from the reverent silence we always give doctors who have things in their ears. He uses the time to practice deep breathing.
ReplyDeleteI had this adorable 7 years old kid afflicted by cystic fibrosis on my pediatric rotation.
ReplyDeleteHe was so used to be in a hospital that whenever you would get a stethoscope near his chest, he would stop anything he was doing, would stay silent and would take the best deep breath I've ever seen.
That was pretty helpful, but kinda sad too I guess.
You know what's worse? When they talk while you're listening to their carotids. That's REALLY loud!
ReplyDeleteYes! This drives me crazy. Also when I say, "take some deep breaths," and what do they do? Hold their breath. Guh.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes. Obese, wiggly Labrador, panting even though you're trying to hold his muzzle closed while his owner blithely tells you stories about the cat he had 30 years ago that was terribly misdiagnosed by the other vet, and how he's been coming to your clinic long enough that you should name a wing after him. Good luck hearing a murmur on that one.
ReplyDelete