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We have this patient who comes in on a regular basis and fakes her asthma. It's to the point now that even the doctors are frustrated with her.
But what choice do they have but to treat her as though she were really having bad asthma. What if she was sent home and died. There's a big lawsuit waiting to happen. So, she gets admitted with the diagnosis of "exacerbation of asthma."
We RTs like to call it, "exaggeration of asthma."
There have been many times I've stood outside her room listening to her talk on the phone as though she were home, and as soon as I walk into the room I can hear a forced, audible expiratory wheeze.
"How you doing?" I say.
"Aweful. I was hoping I'd go home today, but I don't feel any better."
"Yeah right," I think. "You like getting waited on hand and foot."
I'm sure all asthmatics have faked asthma from time to time, but I highly doubt there are many asthmatics who actually want to be admitted.
It's stupid too, becasue there are side effects to all that medicine that gets pumped into you for no reason. Or perhaps she really is having bronchospasms, but it's because of her own choice to be noncompliant.
This was evidenced during her most recent visit, when she was having bad stomach pains. Now she's on stomach medicine too.
I wrote about Asthma Actors on my Asthma Blog over at MyAsthmaCentral.com. Go ahead and click here and I'll morph you on over there.
Monday, December 1, 2008
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5 comments:
I agree that there are asthma actors out there(I have several that frequent my site), but I have to disagree that every asthmatic has faked an attack from time to time.
I've never faked an attack, though I have to admit I feel a little guilty if Im not in full blown resp failure when I'm admitted.
@Steve that's good that you haven't faked an attack before. I know of several people who have-- and it seems silly to me.
And if they need that much attention that they are going to fake it to be admitted, maybe they just need to see a good shrink. lol We had this lady once, long time COPDer...sounded absolutely terrible. She kept begging and begging and begging to be put on the ventilator for a few days (I kid you not). When asked why, she'd say, "Because my accessory muscles need a break...plus, I haven't slept in days." I think it was more the latter than anything else.
You are right steve, I shouldn't have used the generalization "every." Still, I'm sure "many" asthmatics have used their asthma to their advantage from time to time. I doubt there are many who try to get admitted though. Those patients do need a shrink.
Yep-I too know rather too many Asthma Exaggerators -but no, I've never faked it, or hammed it up or even used it to gain anything in my huffy luffy life.
Try my hardest to play it down, always detrimentally I hasten to add. I am a totally compliant but severe asthmatic, who the heck would WANT to suffer like this??????
Sus
Except for a few exceptions, I don't think Actors suffer when they fake it, they simply want people to think they are suffering.
Likewise, I don't think any person with a good conscience would ever do this. Mostly, if someone is going to fake asthma, it will be some kid trying to get out of school or hauling wood or something like that.
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