A Sore Throat, a President and a CT Scan
I am torn on this one. If you haven’t heard, here is what happened:
“This morning, an ear, nose and throat specialist from Fort Belvoir Medical Center conducted a fiber optic exam, under my supervision, of the President’s throat based on symptoms of sore throat over the past couple weeks. The exam revealed soft tissue swelling in the posterior throat and I, in consultation with the specialist, determined that further evaluation with a routine CT scan was prudent. The CT scan was conducted this afternoon purely as a matter of convenience for the President’s schedule. The CT scan was normal. The President’s symptoms are consistent with soft tissue inflammation related to acid reflux and will be treated accordingly,” Jackson’s statement reads.
I get it. He’s the President and leader of the free world so he should get carte blanche on anything. That being said, did they really have to do this in the midst of the ACA debacle? What they should have said is that the President’s deductible had not been met and he paid for it out of pocket. I would of had to do that and hell, I am still the King of Medicine.
Yes, you will always be the king of medicine. A good sense of humor is a treasure!
Sort of reminds me when, in 1973, Senator Ted Kennedy’s son Ted, Jr, developed a sarcoma. The family assembled a team of experts from all around the country to decide upon a course of care. Certainly a luxury not available to my patients.
What I wouldn’t give to do an enema on him.
I read somewhere on Facebook that the sore throat was caused by his head being so far up his butt that the swelling was actually discovered to be his nose.
How many hours on the phone did the attending spend getting a Peer to Peer prior authorization for this CT scan ??????
Where the hell was HIPPA on this one? Even with the patient’s concurrence, I’m certain the treating physicians violated the Dear Leader’s privacy…somehow.
I’ve thought since Reagan that it is unnecessary, and beyond unseemly to broadcast the president’s personal health issues. Beyond an ongoing assurances that he is physically and mentally (the latter usually a tougher call) fit for the office, the rest is none of our business.
What I heard is his doctors want him on omeprazole but couldn’t get a prior auth until they tried ranitidine.
It’s always tough to make any judgments based on the limited information that is released publicly, but I can count the number of patients I’ve had who had a fiber-optic exam and CT for a 2 week sore throat on well, zero hands. I’ve read articles about how celebrities often get substandard medical care since physicians will aggressively order tests and procedures they otherwise wouldn’t, while avoiding exams and history that might make the celebrity uncomfortable. That may or may not be the case here, but it’s unusual to make a diagnosis of GERD in a patient whose sole symptom is a sore throat. You have to wonder if a careful history might have revealed the diagnosis.
When President Reagan had his right colectomy for cancer, there were 4 (four!) surgeons and 2 (two) anesthesiologists in the room. This information was from a colleague who was one of the scrubbed-in surgeons. I wondered if he was at all concerned that with so many people in the room, if that might increase the infection risk.
Shortly after that Medicare turned down my request for a 2nd assistant on a low anterior resection for a low rectal cancer in a very obese male patient at about the same time. The good news was my letter of appeal using the above information (and a subtle suggestion of a letter to the newspaper) resulted in Medicare paying for the second assistant.