Healthcare changes over the years

[CheyDee]

Originally Posted by weltschmerz

No. Ibuprofen is a NSAID...Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug.
Tylenol, or acetaminophen, is an analgesic (painkiller) and an antipyretic (fever reducer). It has little effect on inflammation.

Actually, ibuprofen also works as an analgesic and antipyretic.

Discussing specific drugs is getting way OT, so my suggestion to the poster who has questions about them is to ask his/her doc or look the info up themselves.

[weltschmerz]

Originally Posted by CheyDee

Actually, ibuprofen also works as an analgesic and antipyretic.

Discussing specific drugs is getting way OT, so my suggestion to the poster who has questions about them is to ask his/her doc or look the info up themselves.

Yes. I should have specified that acetaminophen is just an analgesic and antipyretic. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory as well. That extra punch can be really hard on the system. 107,000 patients are hospitalized each year in the U.S. and 16,500 die from NSAIDs.

[xray731]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

In the 80's I broke my foot.
Did the typical ER run and got a cast and then an appt 6 weeks out to get the cast off.

Fast forward to current times.
My son broke his hand. Did the ER run and got a cast.
The doctor though wants to see him in his office each week for the next 6 weeks.
I asked why and he said just to check the cast.
What ?
Told them no thanks. We'll call on 11/1 to schedule and appt to get the cast off.

He did have a scan and there is nothing abnormal about his break. Cast for 6 weeks and then it's off.
Why the weekly visits just to "check the cast" ? I know these visits aren't free but the doctor/nurse would not tell me how much each of those visits would cost.

Now I know why costs have skyrocketed.
I refuse to play the game.

Due to a lot of malpractice cases - orthopedics sometimes see the patient weekly to xray the hand, foot ect... to make sure the position of the bone hasn't changed.

I've worked in orthopedics for 30+ yrs - some fractures need nothing but a cast but a check after a week or so is not unheard of. Some fractures need to be manipulate so the bone is straight - and this can be done while applying the cast - so a recheck is in order to make sure the position is still correct. Some fractures are very unstable and need to be checked more often to make sure they don't loose their position.

A lot of times, especially with kids and teenagers - they ask to follow up weekly to make sure they everything is ok with the cast - or to recast if swelling goes down and the cast is too loose to hold the fracture position.

I've had kids come in with an ankle fracture - casted them and the next week - the cast was in shreds as they walked on it even tho they were told not too. I've had hand fractures that were worse the second week as the kid thought the cast was just protection and he could still punch someone with it - the fracture was worse and had to be plated. I've had people just not like the cast and cut it off themselves numerous times.

Unfortunately, any one of those instances can end up as a lawsuit against the orthopedist - even though it is the patient's stupidity - some lawyer will take the case.

For most insurances - the doctor's bill a fracture code - this includes not only the initial treatment and casting but also all followup care for say 60 days for a hand fracture. Where you may get hit for additional co-pays is for the xrays.

[weltschmerz]

Originally Posted by xray731

Due to a lot of malpractice cases - orthopedics sometimes see the patient weekly to xray the hand, foot ect... to make sure the position of the bone hasn't changed.

I've worked in orthopedics for 30+ yrs - some fractures need nothing but a cast but a check after a week or so is not unheard of. Some fractures need to be manipulate so the bone is straight - and this can be done while applying the cast - so a recheck is in order to make sure the position is still correct. Some fractures are very unstable and need to be checked more often to make sure they don't loose their position.

A lot of times, especially with kids and teenagers - they ask to follow up weekly to make sure they everything is ok with the cast - or to recast if swelling goes down and the cast is too loose to hold the fracture position.

I've had kids come in with an ankle fracture - casted them and the next week - the cast was in shreds as they walked on it even tho they were told not too. I've had hand fractures that were worse the second week as the kid thought the cast was just protection and he could still punch someone with it - the fracture was worse and had to be plated. I've had people just not like the cast and cut it off themselves numerous times.

Unfortunately, any one of those instances can end up as a lawsuit against the orthopedist - even though it is the patient's stupidity - some lawyer will take the case.

For most insurances - the doctor's bill a fracture code - this includes not only the initial treatment and casting but also all followup care for say 60 days for a hand fracture. Where you may get hit for additional co-pays is for the xrays.

I've also seen some pretty nasty infections develop underneath the cast from people sticking sharp objects like coat hangers in there to scratch an itch. It's the perfect environment for an infection....warm and moist.

[xray731]

Absolutely Welt - I've seen a variety of things when I've re-xrayed them.