I want to throw up !

Firt off im writing this from my Iphone so please take exception to the rough style!!!I went to our health unit where I work today to get my blood pressure checked! While there I told the nurse that I had prostate cancer! She went to my medical file and said that they did a PSA on me in 2009 and it shows that I had elivated numbers 2.75! She gave me a copy!!! I asked why didn't someone tell me! She said that it probably got put in my file pending notification from our on call Doc! She also said that my physical for that year was incomplete and that someone dropped the ball! Here is some background info: I work in a government facility and we are required to have a physical once a year! I was getting a PSA every year since age 40! Well, someone decided to eliminate the PSA because we have a young population, prostate cancer is an old mans disease and its expensive! They didn't tell staff that they were cutting the test from the blood work protocol! The last test I had was in 2009! I know it's dumb now but I just assumed that if they didn't call u everything must be good!

My lab doesn't flag it unless it's over 4.0

And my GP hasn't really a clue about age specific PSA, so I have to keep an eye on it myself. I started getting tested when I was 37 cause it runs in the family.

So perhaps they didn't flag it because it wasn't over the 4.0 threshold?

The Lab Paperwork said PSA 2.75 ( High-Out of range)! They have always scheduled me an appointment with the doc if anything is in the high or low range! In fact one year my HDL was 89 wich is outstanding but outside the normal range so they dhad me talk to the Doc!

I can imagine the feelings! What a blow..

I doubt if you have anything remotely resembling a legal case because typical due care is PSA under 4.0.

Despite what we may know, that was standard practice.

Mel

Compiler:

The blood work clearly states that the 2.75 is "out of Normal Range"

Don't be upset, 2.75 is well below the score they begin to look at, 4.0. In July 2007 mine was 2.2, in Dec 2008 it was 4.2........no fault of theirs or yours.

The norm with most PCP was simply a cut-off at 4.0. That's how many doctors were instructed, and at that point, a referral to an urologist was normally ordered.

And, you can be both compliant and informed at the same time. It's not an either or choice.

david in sc

Purgatory said...
The norm with most PCP was simply a cut-off at 4.0. That's how many doctors were instructed, and at that point, a referral to an urologist was normally ordered.

And, you can be both compliant and informed at the same time. It's not an either or choice.

david in sc

He mentioned the testing facility was using a test and it came back "high." I would guess that was an age specific test.

And, no, you can't always be compliant and informed.
Doctor: "Mr.WW, I am going to perform surgery that will give you the best cure rate."
Us: "Um, no you won't because we know that the cure rate is slim to none and we are not willing to give up QOL on a surgery that goes against the general consensus for metastatic prostate cancer."

That's informed and not compliant. It absolutely was an either or choice.

ms., why are you trying to nit pick what I said. Never insinuated in all cases one could be informed and compliant at the same time. I am sure you can think of times in your own life that you were both at the same time. There are always exceptions.

david

In a lawsuit, the question will still come up: what was the standard of care.

Like it or not, it was generally 4.0.

But I am not an attorney. It would be worth asking an expert attorney

Mel

That's messed up.

Bill:

I just don't think, given the PSA result, that it rises to the level of malpractice.

If it was above 4 and deleted, that's a different story.

I wonder what a REAL attorney would say.

Mel