The new president of the California Medical Association was expecting to spend New Year’s at a wedding in Las Vegas.
Instead, David Aizuss, MD, posted on Facebook about his “eye opening” first-hand view of “American medicine at its worst.” (The post is visible only to his Facebook friends and he declined MedPage Today’s request to elaborate, citing ongoing “medical issues.”)
In his post, Aizuss said he was rushed by ambulance to a hospital Monday morning. “I spent hours in the emergency room where I received inadequate treatment of mind boggling pain, was never touched or examined by a physician, was mixed up with another patient and almost inadvertently transferred to another hospital, (and) was scheduled for emergency surgery based on a third patient’s lab work that was confused with mine,” he wrote.
He “finally signed out of the hospital against medical advice so I could obtain care from physicians that I know and trust.” He did not name the hospital.
Aizuss, an ophthalmologist who practices in Calabasas, northwest of Los Angeles, posted his complaint New Year’s Eve, apparently while at the LAX International airport in Los Angeles, where he said he was “just returning from Las Vegas where we were supposed to attend a wedding.”
Dozens of Facebook friends, several apparently also physicians, expressed their shock that the CMA president could receive such poor emergency room response, and some said they were happy he was speaking out about poor quality of hospital care.
“If you get terrible care like this (at least you know the difference) think about the care that Joe Sixpack gets; he doesn’t have the resources to get better care. This system is broken and we need to fix it,” posted one.
Wrote another, “As president of the CMA, your voice can be loud! Don’t be timid and do not be afraid of making enemies. Remember our patients know and respect us when we stand against poor medicine.”
Aizuss ended the post by saying, “Truly an eye-opening experience for the President of the California Medical Association. Happy New Year to all!”
He began his one-year term as CMA president in mid-October, saying he wanted to focus on physician burnout, practice sustainability, and payment. He is also past chairman of the CMA Board of Trustees.
He is a medical staff member at Tarzana Hospital and West Hills Hospital, in Los Angeles County, and serves as an assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology at the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine.
The CMA represents about 43,000 physicians in the state and is the second largest organized medicine group of any state, next to the Texas Medical Association, which represents about 52,000 physicians.
Filed under: General Problems
Does anyone remember the woman who was caught on CCTV collapsing in the waiting room of an ER and died? How long ago was that? And still, nothing has changed…
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/barbara-dawson-florida-woman-dies-after-being-removed-hospital-n485186
Wow!! Terrible! Reminds me of the woman who died in the ER waiting room.
Oops- it’s been a while, I’m not used to using this platform and didn’t realize I even had messages, I don’t knowhow to edit my comment, so I guess all I can say is-it still reminds of that poor woman and this story is just as bad.
Not many people get out of this life without suffering pain in some way or observing others they care for suffering long term pre death chronic pain. Unless you experience sudden death, there is a nasty little secret, that we will all suffer from age related debilitating symptoms, chronic pain, failed surgery, or have to watch others we love suffer these kinds of events. In the long run, those that are judging now, will inevitably be effected. Perhaps then the truth will out, and some reasonable accommodation regarding the need from relief from chronic pain will be recognized.
It’s very easy, to be adamantly opposed to something you know nothing about, or that you think you know about, but are sadly misinformed. As I stated, the truth will out sooner or later. It’s a matter of just how many will get caught in this dehumanizing sting operation. I think, it’s much easier to latch on to this, then deal with the barbaric leadership in this country or perhaps the stressors brought by personal financial issues. Any number of problems can encourage the displacement of anxiety, depression, or anger on to the troubles that improper use of medications have brought us.
Treatment and incarceration of illegal prescription writers is possible without a scorched earth policy. The punishment of folks who are already struggling to survive through difficult life challenges, such as having a chronic pain diagnosis, is without a doubt not only bad medicine – it is cruel. Medical practitioners have been reduced to becoming enforcers of fascistic regulations, promoted by the American Medical Association, Pharmaceutical companies that produce both the opiates, as well as, Narcan the anti opiate panacea. Let me not forget the rallying cry of a government that can’t seem to find its own way through many catastrophicly made bad decisions.
Practitioners of health care under these regulations have abdicated the philosophical pinnacle of their profession “to do no harm”. Those medical professionals that have been trained to recognize addiction behavior have been supplanted by a kind of fearful hysteria. They are left to try to function within their practice under serious threat of having their practice shut down, scrupulous monitoring between physician, pharmacy and government oversight all gathered and spit out by the technological wonder of the computer. Leaves no physician or patient free to make medicating decisions independent of that technological oversight. Whether the physician believes the patient needs medication becomes a mute point. Their is nothing left but the physicians fear and the patients pain. It is usually suggested that the patient try alternative potentially helpful pain remedies. All of which cost money and most of which is not covered by insurance. Not to fail to mention that these alternative methods have not been proven to successfully work with intractable long term chronic pain.
Untrained citizens, individuals with no medical training are being given a medical tool “aka” Narcan – which in itself is “medicine”. To take upon themselves the judgment of introducing this stuff directly into the body of any one they may come upon without verifying the necessity to do so. Without a medical consult, it is problematic to know just how many people received this treatment by a lay person, or first responder, that may not have needed Narcan administered. For example, some may have been unconscious with other medical issues that might then go untreated. For example, some one in diabetic insulin shock, fainting from any number of emergency medical reasons. Assuming that everyone appearing to be unconscious is a drug over dosed opiate abuser can in the end have very serious complications. None of these complications are noted in any article that I have read. Only the magnificent successes. There is very little mention of how individuals that have had Narcan used in them faired after this rapid induction of withdrawal. Some would say that’s better than death by overdose. There is no proof or studies done from what I can see, to date, of the long term treatment, survival or complications created by the use of this one stop life saving and seriously potent opiate blocker. Only very superficial information is released regarding it effect on people who have been found unconscious.
I am sure there are many instances of lives being saved through the use of this chemical. I do think, however, we need to know that more is done beyond the bare bones reportage of those lucky few that seem to respond successfully. How for instance do these numbers correlate with those patient/victims that were injured by the introduction of this medicine in whatever dosage made available by the producer and distribution of what seems to be an unregulated medical phenomenon. Narcan has become the justifiable application of treatment by just about any one who chooses to carry it on their person to be discharged into just about any one that seems to be unconscious.
It’s going to take awhile before the practitioners wake up (that is if they can) to take back the power and wisdom that led them to spend so much money and time in training. It’s going to take time for the patients/families to rally around and speak out about the cruelty of withholding pain reducing medication.
Before these analgesic meds were discovered and put into use within the general population, people were given a shot of whiskey if available, held down to remain in place during extremely painful surgeries. Since there was no alternative, it was a given that this kind of treatment was necessary. We haven’t quite de-evolved to that degree. Hopefully, it will not take too long before the “powers that be” come to their senses. And recognize the harm they are creating among innocent patients, that are just trying to survive one more day. One has to be, pain free enough, to enter into intimacy with a partner, to attend to the bills in need of paying, to take care of self and family. Unbridled pain sucks the life out of everyone so encumbered, as well as, loved ones, employment status may be destroyed, children are denied the benefit of a participating parent.
I do not believe, from what I have seen, in my own community, that there is adequate rehabilitation in-patient or out patient. The society that seems to have gone on an anti analgesic rampage is not simultaneously providing the kind of rehabilitative services that would allow for successful outcomes. Most of what I have seen is failure of ER’s to treat and refer patients to appropriate follow up services. Failure of independent practitioners to do anything more than spend valuable time with the patient discussing how it is an inconvenience and annoying time for them to track each patient. The focus generally becoming centered around “to give or not to give” an opiate based prescription for the treatment of pain rather than actually examining the patient or referring to a specialist for further treatment and follow up. The patient is left to itself to figure out how he/she will make it through the next day.
I hope for all our sakes this “opiate crisis hysteria” is resolved quickly. That the true law breakers are currently in jail. No more sneaky cars parked on the corner passing small packages to a seemingly honest person out for a quiet walk. We all need to be protected from these immoral crocks.
Since we are all potentially the “chronic pain patient”, we need to keep in place the option for medically supervised medications that have the potential to limit drastic and unbearable chronic pain. Medication that allows an improved quality of life. That enables stable and healthy relationships between self and others. And lastly, appropriate recovery services beyond the “head in the sands”, finger pointing, failure to care about the individuals life and health beyond the goal of getting everyone medication free.
Second, to lastly, more closely supervised availability of Narcan. It can’t be just about how many people are walking around, on the ready, to spray this medication into or on persons found unconscious. That is, an irresponsible treatment modality. Anyone carrying this drug needs to be a trained qualified professional. Not just someone in the neighborhood who appoints themselves town savior. Training is essential in discriminating opiate unconscious / unconsciously ill. As well as, after Narcan induction. What are the resources for treatment of those supposedly opiately unconscioustook? What resources are available, not only to treat a potential over dose – but, what about the afterwards part of the story? Where does the chronic pain sufferer go other than doors closed? Everything I read, suggests that people trying to not take opiates need counseling. Where are these counselors for those on Medicare/Medicaid. In situations where the counselor is not going to be making much money doing this counseling but even yet, remains dedicated to recognizing the value of this life in need of services.
If only life were as simple as just going on a crusade against this or that social deviance. It just isn’t that simple – good people are being catastrophically injured in this crusade. People who need empathy, increased abstinence support and provision of medication where clinically supported by evidence based investigation. Not just every Joe and Jane that decides to carry a can of anti opiate spray meds. That seems to be what I read about. The statistics of how many less “accidental” over doses avoided because of a statistic related to use of Narcan. Really? That’s the research and science being used to justify “the war on opiates?” These headlines say nothing about the concerns raised above in this commentary. This just reads as though it’s an advertisement for the use of the product. Definitely not an analysis of the success of recovery. Let alone, it not being an attempt at recognizing whether some of these people captured in those faux statistical reference were injured by rapid induction into withdrawal. If in fact, they were unconscious in the first place due to opiate use.
So, I hope, after all these words, you see my point.
Thanks for reading –
Signed, A concerned Citizen
Well said!!
I’m a retired CRNA living in Ohio also a chronic pain patient going on 16 years. After experiencing circumstances not unlike this for the last 3 years, I’ve taken up blogging about it. I was discharged from care for asking for copies of my medical records. Had been asking for them for 6 months and doctor was telling me it was illegal to give me copies, wouldn’t even let me review them while in the office. After getting a letter from a state agency confirming my right to access I showed it to the doctor. He retaliated by requesting a psychological consultation. Two days before that appointment I was discharged, they claimed I failed to make that appointment. These kinds of events are occurring with greater frequency as Ohio squeezes doctors who prescribe opiates. Doctors are scared witless, some driven to irrational and illegal actions. I wonder how many deaths it will take from abruptly stopping meds before the state starts tracking opiate withdrawal related deaths.
I’d wager that even if they did recognize them as w/d deaths, they’ll just add ’em into the “epidemic” deaths, as if it was the mere fact of someone have taken the meds that caused their death, thus providing even more BS lies as fodder for even more hysteria.
What force could turn doctors and nurses into such raving lunatics? I might have to start feeling sorry for them. They are just people. Who is treating them like prostitutes? Was it not always OUR HEALTH CARE. I see someone sitting behind a desk cultivation is as a cash crop. So sad.
What force could turn doctors and nurses into such raving lunatics? I might have to start feeling sorry for them. They are just people. Who is treating them like prostitutes? Was it not always OUR HEALTH CARE. I see someone sitting behind a desk cultivating us as a cash crop. So sad.
Dr. Aizuss, now you know why MANY Chronic Pain pts. avoid the ER like their life depends on it, because, as you found out, IT DOES! My Mother-In-Law found me unconscious on the kitchen floor. I had been sick for 5 weeks with bronchitis, but my family Doctor could not fit me in for a follow-up appointment for another 3 weeks. I had started a second round of Vancomyacin because I was also still recovering from Bacterial Meningitis. My MIL told the EMT’s about the Meningitis and bronchitis and handed them my medication organizer and bag of prescription bottles. I kid you not, the very first bottle the EMT pulled from the bag was my script of 5 mg. Hydrocodone (3 per day). According to my MIL, he immediately whipped out the Narcan like he was a gunslinger in a Wild West Movie. I regained consciousness 4 hours later in ICU, with the Nurse screaming in my face “What did you take?”, repeatedly, louder and louder. Then she said, “Don’t even think about leaving, or I will be more than happy to strap you to the bed for your 72 hour psych hold.” I told her all my meds were in the bag and pill organizer in her hand and that she was welcome to count them. Then she said, “No, I mean what OTHER drugs did you take?” This all happemed in the first 10 seconds after I came to. I barely knew where I was, much less why she was screaming at me, at the top of her lungs, as if I had just murdered someone. There was a family with two kids standing just outside my room. I could see the absolute shock on their faces to see this “supposed” professional Nurse screaming at me like a wild banchee. I then received a 30 minute tongue lashing about how tired she was of having to deal with all of us Chronic Pain Junkies who don’t know how to read a pill bottle and follow directions. Needless to say, I couldn’t manage to get a word in edgewise in my own defense. She then said I needed to lay off the booze because my liver enzymes were sky high. She really became enraged when I told her I DON’T DRINK ALCOHOL, EVER. I’m used to being treated like a dog, but what really upset me was when she turned towards the Lobby (where my MIL was standing in the doorway, headed in our direction) and said “You people really need to look in the phonebook and find a drug rehab to deal with her (meaning, me) or maybe next time the Narcan won’t be there, and it will save all of us the trouble!” Just then, another Nurse walked up and handed the screaming lunatic my x-ray results. “She has Double Pnuemonia, and her screens were right”. “Yeah, right” was her response. How in the HELL did that Nurse actually believe a person can fake Double Pnuemonia? Or the fever of 106 degrees when I got to the ER? Or the Oxygen sat rate of 90? She then said, “Well, I guess it looks like you get to go home tonight after all.” She walked away, no apology whatsoever, probably STILL believing I had overdosed! To add insult to injury, she walked back in not 5 minutes later and tossed my discharge papers at me. My fever was still 104, Ox sat 90, BP 200/115 and heart rate 132. They discharged me with Double Pneumonia, and now my back pain (Cauda Equina, neuropathy, spinal stenosis, abutted L4 nerve roots, desicated L3-4 disc and L4 vertabrae dislocating over L4-5, L5-S1 Fusion) was out of control because of the 3 Narcan doses, and needless to say I suffered in AGONY all night long. 2 Days later, after FINALLY getting a call back from my PCP and going to see her, I was admitted to a different hospital to treat the pnuemonia. I truly believe that I now suffer from PTSD because of all this. I will NOT VOLUNTARILY go to ANY ER, I would rather die on the sidewalk outside. I also no longer go in for ANY preventative check ups. I haved washed my hands of the healthUNCARE field in this Country. It is absolutely Open Season (at the Government’s Direction) on pain patients. We are the Pariahs that SOME (MOST I HAVE DEALT WITH) Nurses, Pharmacists and Doctors feel it is perfectly acceptable, HELL, DOWN RIGHT ENCOURAGED, to abuse, ridicule and make fun of. BTW, I counted 5 nurses, 2 doctors and an xray tech standing around watching as that Nurse lit into me. Not ONE of them said a word.
I have lupus and my biggest fear is that when i die from lupus if it happens at home they will call it an overdose becauae i take pain medicine. It’s a witch hunt and needs to stop. I wish the community could come together and fight with the support of family and friends.
I Doubt Anything Will Change Considering The Deep and Intricate Corruption, as well as the Fast Tracking of Full steam Ahead Globalization. So Many Back Door Deals Have Gone Through Undemocratically, Illegally, and Unethically, it. will Take Total Dismemberment of the entire Fractured System–n Order To Start New From Scratch, And Only By The People. If these Idiots had a sliver of a brain they may have thought that Torturing The Majority Of Legitimate Chronic Disease Patients wasn’t such a wise move, and the Fury From Loved ones would Savagely Scorn The Ever Growing majority. Their Ignorance, Narcissistic Stupidlty, and base preoccupation with the Culling and Hunger-Games have sent them in off in a Transhumanistic Tail spin. I was becoming so nauseous by their casual dead-lines of when All Opiates for the commons in Any Situation, and Circumstance will occur. “They”, so nonchalantly determine among their small few, When The Opiate Timeline Will Be, (in all its entirety). This Will Never Happen because the ultimate meaning of such grotesque Genocide can not be meaningful unless All Of Us and those who are minimally reasonable will never allow it. Knowing that this is in No Way About Caring for the lone “Addict”. Every Human Being in Legitimate Pain and Inhuman and Unnatural Torture will never deserve such Brutality. But Monsters whose Sadism is Noted Receiving This Morbid and Grotesque Rush to Act in Culigula- Style Barbism will be stopped in their Tracks for the pure pleasure being derived from the orgasmic rush they’re eschalating towards.
Hhhmmm how very interesting
At least they don’t discriminate everybody gets lousy care and nobody’s pain is treated unless it’s visible like a compound fracture with bone jutting out and blood gushing. Then it’s right to sleep. This is going on nationwide hopefully this will be an eye opener to what medicine shouldn’t look like.