A bit of semantics here. what do we mean by "urgent"? Remember when TFT's
were done once a week. Now we do them 6 days a week. There are a lot more
tests more relevant to the investigation of a 23 year old hypothermic woman
that urgent TFT's. Doing them, and confirming that they are normal (or sick
euthyroid) might actually help to concentrate the mind of the clinician on
what is important for the care of the patient rather him or her wasting
energy jumping up and down having a hissy fit over what will undoubtedly be
perceived as the obstructionist attitude of the lab obermeister in
restricting access to the facilities necessary to investigate a desperately
ill patient and what the lab consider to be an irrelevant test.
Sometimes a holistic view of the clinician - laboratory - patient
relationship needs to be taken, recognising that accommodating the
clinicians foibles at two in the morning may be more in the patient's
interests than confronting what some laboratory practitioners might see as
the clinician's ignorance and incompetence. That can, if need be, be done
at an audit meeting or CME/CPD session in the cold light of day.
We need to work with, not in adversity with our clinical colleagues.
Robert Forrest
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask]
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Aubrey
> Blumsohn
> Sent: 21 June 1999 23:00
> To: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Hypothermia, are TFT's urgent?
>
>
> IMHO: No indications for urgent TFT's ever. Excluding adrenal
> insufficiency
> is also
> relevant is such patients.
>
> Aubrey Blumsohn
>
>
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