2024-04-24 11:44:17
Sometimes people are angry that when they rush to the hospital, they are not examined by a doctor right away, they have to wait. The doctor emphasizes that emergency medical assistance is provided based on the procedure established by the Ministry of Health.
According to it, patients are divided into 4 emergency categories. How quickly the doctor will admit the patient depends on the seriousness of the condition. An additional burden is the patients arriving at the hospital after the working hours of the family doctor, who do not require emergency care at all.
“Something hurts a person, he goes to the reception department and thinks that there will be no more problems. But Reception departments cannot solve all problems, because only urgent help is provided here”, D. Černiauskienė emphasized.
She is convinced that basic communication helps to prevent conflict. If the patient is explained why and how long he will have to wait, problems usually do not arise. Unfortunately, not all people are understanding.
“Everything happens with emotions. The hospital administration organizes stress management training. Doctors try to resolve conflicts peacefully, but we are not perfect and it is impossible for all patients to stay 100%. satisfied”, acknowledged D. Černiauskienė.
Not everyone needs urgent help
D. Černiauskienė, who comes from Plunge, says that at school she was interested in biological sciences, so the turn to medicine was natural. The doctor, who completed her family doctor’s residency studies in Vilnius, moved to Klaipėda because of her family.
In the port city, it was found that on Tuesdays and Saturdays, patients who need urgent help flock to the Klaipėda Republican Hospital. However, experience shows that not all residents understand the function of emergency medical care.
“A person applies who has a fever for the first day or suffered an injury 2-3 days ago and finally decides to see a doctor. Not everyone understands that an emergency trauma is up to 48 hours, and after this time you need to seek outpatient services.
A cough without additional symptoms, if there is no shortness of breath, is also not classified as an emergency. A lot of patients go to the doctor because of anxiety, they simply don’t know who to consult with,” noted D. Černiauskienė.
In Klaipėda, about 200 patients usually visit the Reception Department per day. People who are in extremely serious condition, have difficulty breathing, or are severely poisoned are immediately taken to a doctor.
However, a large proportion of patients can be assigned to the third emergency category. Often these are patients with high blood pressure and accompanying complications.
“But if high blood pressure is the only symptom, it’s not a medical emergency.” Reception staff have to carry out educational activities, explain the procedures in force to people”, said D. Černiauskienė.
A healed person is the greatest reward for a doctor
She said that a wide team of specialists cooperates in the Reception Department. Surgeons, urologists, and gynecologists are also involved, so there is every opportunity to conduct detailed and accurate examinations of the patient’s health, to diagnose the disease.
“Some of the applicants are given outpatient treatment and discharged home, while others are hospitalized. The third group of patients are those who are prescribed observation lasting up to one day”, explained D. Černiauskienė.
Waits are long and stressful, and patients are not always polite – what motivates doctors to work in the emergency department? According to the doctor, the efforts are crowned with a quick result.
“A person comes for an acute condition, which we often solve at least partially in the Reception Department. The patient suffers from severe pains and convulsions, and you see how thanks to you he gets better,” said D. Černiauskienė.
Doctors are also familiar with death – not all patients can be revived.
“In time we learn to accept it. Talking with colleagues, discussing the case helps. You understand that you have to draw a certain limit, accept that there will be such incidents in your work, but you try to help people as best as possible”, said D. Černiauskienė.
Being on duty for a day is physically and emotionally draining. Some people fall straight to bed, while others can’t get up during the day and leave sleep for the evening. Each medic has his own ways to regain strength.
“My free time is bike rides, family trips, walks by the sea or elsewhere in nature,” said D. Černiauskienė.
For the second year, the news portal lrytas.lt has been preparing the project “Thank you to the doctors”, the accompanying series of publications introducing health care specialists who are sensitive to patients’ problems.
2024-04-24 11:44:17