An allergic reaction is the body’s way of responding to an “invader.” When the body senses a foreign substance called an antigen, the immune system is triggered. The immune system normally protects die body from harmful agents. Its overreaction to a harmless substance (an allergen) is called a hypersensitivity reaction, or an allergic reaction. An example would be a person taking a cough suppressive with codeine additive. The cough medication helped the cough and the person broke out with a generalized red rash. Therefore, one must conclude that this person is having an allergic reaction and should stop the drug immediately.
In conclusion, many drugs have common side effects that a person would not desire to take a medication. Most of the time, it is a personal choice that one must make with each person weighing the side effect versus the outcome one wishes to obtain. Many people take drugs that cause nausea, vomiting, headache or increased urination just to name a few common side effects. Some times the benefit does outweigh the side effect (from a medical stand point). An example would be a common side effect of Nitroglycerin is a headache. When a person is having a myocardial infarction (heart attack) a doctor will order sub lingual nitroglycerin to dilate the blood vessels. The doctor knows it will cause the person to have a headache, but the goal is to prevent further heart damage.
As a registered nurse I support the need for each individual to become involved in his/her healthcare. The following are good recommendations for you to improve your medical care.
1. You should have a doctor that you see regularly.
2. Follow your doctor’s recommendation on frequency of your appointments to see the doctor.
3. You should keep a written list of your current list of medication, medication allergies, medical diagnosis/surgeries for any emergency. Do not rely on your memory which could be impaired during a crisis.
4. Keep this list on you at all times for any unforeseen emergencies.
5. Know all about your current medications by reading the insert that all pharmacies give to you when they fill them. Most pain medications should not be taken on an empty stomach to minimize the common side effect of nausea/vomiting. Follow the medication advice to improve your desired results.
6. Keep a record of any complaints or problems you have occurred between your doctor visits and take this to your doctor on scheduled appointments. An excellent way is to write your concerns/questions in a spiral notebook.
7. All minor children and elderly persons should take one person to all appointments with them.
For those fortunate to have an elderly parent you should get involved with all aspects of his/her care. Don’t wait for an acute crisis to occur before you become involved. For all elderly on a fixed income there are government programs available to help them with medical care, food, housing, etc. Go to your local department of family/children services for inquiry on possible qualifying for assistance.
It is very easy for one to become judge and jury regarding other people’s actions. It is even easier to blame others for anything that goes wrong in one’s life. Being rude and demanding anything in life will not always yield a positive result. As a customer for medical care you have responsibilities as well as rights. Treating others as you wish to be treated with care and courtesy will give you the results you deserve and desire. The policies and procedures implemented in the hospital setting are for the benefit/safety of the patients, families/friends and staff. They are enforced to provide the customer with the utmost quality of care.
The Dodge County Hospital is owned and operated by Dodge County. It is a government facility that receives is funding in many means. It is medicare, medicaid, indigent funds thru grants, insurance; donations, private pay by patients dollars to name a few ways that it is funded. If you utilize your local hospital, you can expect to receive excellent care. There are many well educated qualified staff employed at Dodge County Hospital that are eager to assist you. If the residents of Dodge County do not support the local hospital then it could close as another hospital in a nearby county recently did. This would have a devastating financial effect on everyone in this county. It could mean the life or death of you or your love one. Please support your county-owned hospital!
Cori Pramuk, RN
I love my patients and their safety and health is my main concern.
It's people who think like you who give our hospital a bad name, not the other way around.
Granted, the ER has it's issues, but you should try the Medical Center and see how much "better" it is. With wait times up to 8 hours just to be seen, the grass is not always greener on the other side.
And as for you attacking Cori's parenting- what in the world does that have to do with ANYTHING?
For your information, Cori is a wonderful mother and nurse.
One more thing- even with your foul attitude, if you were a patient @ DCH, I'd take just as good care of you as I would my BEST patient.
Have a nice day! :)
However, I support everything that Cori has stated in her letter. A side effect and an allergic reaction are two different things. Ask any healthcare provider or look it up. And to improve your healthcare it is YOUR responsiblitly to take action and be active in YOUR healthcare decisions. Its YOUR responsibilty to ask questions when you don't truely understand something or don't completely understand why a medication is being given or a test is being done or whatever is going on. Nurses and doctors are not mindreaders or magicians, we cant automatically read your mind. YOUR healthcare is YOUR responsibilty. The recommendations that Cori has provided wil truely help to improve your healthcare. Nurses and doctors NEED to know your current medications and medical history to accurately treat you. Get a regular physician who wil know your medical history and be able to treat you properly. The ER doctor is not a regular physician, he/she is there for EMERGENCIES! And always question the prescriptions that you are given if you have any doubt. Or at least read the info insert given with the medication before taking it. Every hospital will be happy to provide you with information that states the patients rights and responsiblities, we don't provide this for the fun of it. Please obtain it and read it or have someone read it to you, this is part of your healthcare. Its also posted on the walls throughout the facilities. And Dodge County Hospital does have many good, intelligent, hard working nurses that are willing to provide excellant care to you. Don't let the few bad apples in the group give the good ones bad names. Also, being rude, demanding or plain out hateful is not going to get you anywhere in life. Feel free to voice your opinions or concerns, but don't take your anger or fustration out on the nurses, we are there to help and we always pray for the best outcomes. Being ugly to us creates a more stressful situation, while being calm, caring and having some curtesy during the situation will truely help us perform at our best. And trust me, many of the nurses are not there for "just a paycheck", Dodge Co Hospital is one of the lowest paying hospitals in this area. I work at Dodge Co Hospital as my second job because I enjoy my work.
The fact is, the doctor and nursing staff at Dodge County Hospital made a mistake and are looking to place the blame somewhere else. Sadly, that is back on the patient they made sick.
Over the past few weeks, I have had several people including doctors, nurses, friends and strangers tell me their own horror stories about Dodge County Hospital. It's enough to make you sick.
Others have asked me why I would write a letter like I did because a letter like that could cause the hospital to close. If my letter causes the whole hospital to shut down, then there must be a bigger problem than the onw I pointed out. I didn't write the letter to cause harm. I was trying to open the eyes of the staff of Dodge County Hospital to their mistakes so maybe, just maybe, they would not make the same mistake twice. My mother became sick, but what if the next person dies?
The fact is, there are problems at Dodge County Hospital. If they are not fixed, we all are in danger of losing out county owned hospital. Everyone should support having a hospital in Dodge County. That support should not include turning a blind eye to the mistakes being made, though. Demand change so Dodge County Hospital can continue to serve the community for years to come.