Openings: Part 1

What are the worst Chief Complaints you’ve ever heard? For the non-medical reader, the Chief Complaint can be thought of as the patient’s opening statement. It’s what shows up on the schedule as the only thing I know about why the patient is there. I’ve compiled a brief and definitely non-exclusive list of the worst chief complaints I’ve ever seen; the ones that make me sigh in advance, knowing that taking the history is going to be like pulling teeth and that the patient is probably not going to be satisfied. Here goes: “Nerves” “Fatigue” “Depression” “Anxiety” “Low back pain” “Dizziness” “Numbness” “Palpitations” “Chest pain for three years” “My breathing is funny” “Sick” “Chronic” anything “Couple of things” “Just a few questions for the doctor” And my favorite: “I’m just not right” Feel free to add more in the comments.
Source: Musings of a Dinosaur - Category: Primary Care Authors: Tags: Medical Source Type: blogs