I ahve wondered at great length why people do this, especially when I do my
overnight work and get dragged away from my peacful slumber (not to happily)
by someone demanding treatment in the emrgency department for a sore throat.
Often they have seen someone often even two others who have told them all
about viruses etc but THEY STILL WANT ANTIBIOTICS.

Well they really believe that they work. Everyone has an anecdote about the
one that gets pneumonia/strep throat/otitis media etc. and they stick in our
minds.

The fact is that statistically most urti/bronchitis/OM is viral and by and
large are self limiting. There is no way to tell early in the illness so the
most sensible thing is to NOT TREAT becasue of the actual harm done by
antibiotics. Even paracetamol is now becoming a no no in kids becasue of the
small percentage who get liver failur on less than 100mg / kg per day.

What is the answer. Well I guess it is not a problem for those in over
doctored areas who can't survive without the patients trotting up for all of
it. The few idealist like Ilya who reject the system in order to practice
good medicine earn my respect and the rural people who suffer from terminal
overwork could well in exasperation cry to the patient (look you bloody
fool) I have told you a thousand bloody times. There is no cure for the
bloody cold so piss off and drive 400 k to ... and find some bastard who
needs your business.

I ahve got a pile of leaflets from the Dept .. on of which is called using
antibiotics wisely and explains the whole thing. I ordered a pile of them
and leave them lying about and give them to patients, I tell them what to
excpect and want to do if it turns out not to be viral and offer abs as and
option then. If they cant get the message from all of this they are just too
damn stupid to understand and just have to be told no.

You can't do the right thing and please everyone. The desire to get a script
is almost obsessive in some.

Give them a good case of erythema multiformae from ceclor or liver failure
from augmentin aplastic anaemea or just good old serum sickness and they
will soon catch on though.


Message sent by

Malcolm Fairleigh M.B.B.S. B.Med. Sc. FACRRM
Rural Medical Practitioner

Phone
Kelso  0263325857
Westpoint 0263325500
Blayney 0263682553
-----Original Message-----
From: Dr Paul Caldwell <[log in to unmask]>
To: GP-UK Bulletin Board <[log in to unmask]>; Australia GP Bulletin Board
<[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, December 31, 1998 5:58 AM
Subject: 'flu again


>Why, oh why, don't normal, healthy adults just take a few paracetamol and
>rest for a few days, leaving us to sort out the unhealthy??????!!!!!!!!!!
>Are we now a nation of wimps? I am sure the Oz bulletin board will reply
>unanymously YES!
>
>
>



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