When treating chronic pain, don ’t compromise your principles

One of the most difficult things I deal with as a physician is patients’ demands for pain medications. I treat patients with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease present at birth with no cure, and its issues are indeed complex. There are legitimate causes for misery from the chronic coughing, abdominal pain, and joint pain recognized as common symptoms of the disease. But the associated issues of depression, stress with family, and money make giving out narcotics problematic. There is also intense pressure on a physician in the CF community, as there is in many other practices, to retain your patients. Having a patient leave you for another provider is painful, and feelings of failure and a sense of letting somebody down pervade. Treating pain and relieving suffering are an inherent part of what is expected of us as healers. The Hippocratic oath was written in 400 BCE, and is one of the most enduring and momentous codes of ethics ever written. The Yale University version of the Hippocratic Oath explicitly mentions relieving pain and suffering in the third sentence. As gatekeepers of medicine, it is within our power to both give and refuse potent medicines. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Meds Medications Source Type: blogs