http://scrubsmag.com/top-10-signs-your-patient-may-be-a-drug-seeker/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:03:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://scrubsmag.com/top-10-signs-your-patient-may-be-a-drug-seeker/#comment-20173 Granny RN Sat, 21 Jan 2012 07:53:36 +0000 http://scrubsmag.com/?p=6052#comment-20173 The 'tips' are worthy of note and certainly there are 'frequent flyers' in every Emergency Room. However, all of us must acknowledge that there is at this time NO test, Scan or other kind of 'objective' means with which to measure an individuals' pain. One cannot withhold pain medication, or an adequate dose of it just because a patient 'does not appear to be in pain' (What exactly does pain look like?), he is an addict/alcoholic (acute care is NOT the time or place for rehab. You must treat the patient without giving in to the stereotypical thinking and let him/her 'detox' after the acute event is over. There is NO excuse for inadequate control of pain in the 21st century. And only the patient knows if it is 'real'. The ‘tips’ are worthy of note and certainly there are ‘frequent flyers’ in every Emergency Room. However, all of us must acknowledge that there is at this time NO test, Scan or other kind of ‘objective’ means with which to measure an individuals’ pain.
One cannot withhold pain medication, or an adequate dose of it just because a patient ‘does not appear to be in pain’ (What exactly does pain look like?), he is an addict/alcoholic (acute care is NOT the time or place for rehab. You must treat the patient without giving in to the stereotypical thinking and let him/her ‘detox’ after the acute event is over.
There is NO excuse for inadequate control of pain in the 21st century. And only the patient knows if it is ‘real’.

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