http://trishatorrey.com/2008/10/18/whatcan-we-learn-from-susans-horrendous-hospital-stay/ A blog about patient empowerment, advocacy, safety, consumerism and tools to navigate the dysfunction of American health care. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:08:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://trishatorrey.com/2008/10/18/whatcan-we-learn-from-susans-horrendous-hospital-stay/comment-page-1/#comment-23423 Bonnie Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:07:30 +0000 http://trishatorrey.com/?p=619#comment-23423 My mother went to the ER on her 84th birthday. Kept on a gurney for almost 12 HOURS! A PCT (patient care technician) placed her on a bed pan & with the SAME pair of gloves on went to the next room & made up the the bed. I had to take her off of the bed pan because no one came back. She was diagnosed with a UTI (by a hospitalist) & put on Levaquin. Her subsequent hospitalization was horrible! The Levaquin caused her blood sugar to drop so low, she was confused & disoriented (the nurses ASSUMED she had dementia). Luckily I, a layperson with minor medical background, suggested to the hospitalist it might be the Levaqin. He said & I quote "might be worth a try". Guess what I was right. We live right outside of Philadelphia, PA & the hospital she was in is affiliated with the hospital where her doctors are on staff but for some reason communication is not allowed. Sounds stupid doesn't it? I could go on & on with the errors that took place i9n this hospital stay. Luckily, Mom is almost back to her normal, thriving 84 year old self & I am now on a first name basis with the President of the hospital! Take your complaints to the top. My mother went to the ER on her 84th birthday. Kept on a gurney for almost 12 HOURS! A PCT (patient care technician) placed her on a bed pan & with the SAME pair of gloves on went to the next room & made up the the bed. I had to take her off of the bed pan because no one came back. She was diagnosed with a UTI (by a hospitalist) & put on Levaquin. Her subsequent hospitalization was horrible! The Levaquin caused her blood sugar to drop so low, she was confused & disoriented (the nurses ASSUMED she had dementia). Luckily I, a layperson with minor medical background, suggested to the hospitalist it might be the Levaqin. He said & I quote “might be worth a try”. Guess what I was right. We live right outside of Philadelphia, PA & the hospital she was in is affiliated with the hospital where her doctors are on staff but for some reason communication is not allowed. Sounds stupid doesn’t it? I could go on & on with the errors that took place i9n this hospital stay. Luckily, Mom is almost back to her normal, thriving 84 year old self & I am now on a first name basis with the President of the hospital! Take your complaints to the top.

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