Doctor’s Diary June 25, 2018: Recognizing death

(Snippets from the frontline)

Recognizing death

I know when someone is sick and might die. 

Whether a person is in the emergency room, hospitalized, or on the street, recognizing imminent death comes with training and experience.  It means taking immediate action and making the right decisions.

Illness has its extremes, and at the far end of the spectrum is the failing of life commonly seen in a hospital.  Therefore, to fully hone one’s skills, medical professionals including doctors, nurses, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners must train in a hospital setting.

Having no exposure to the extremes of health problems and not knowing approaching death could result in faulty decision-making and a fatal treatment plan.

Nowadays, your health is being placed in the hands of those who have received only online experience, computer certification, superficial hands-on care, or solely clinic (but not hospital) training.  These are cost-cutting business choices that might place an inferior health provider in charge of your care and family.

Ask your medical professional their education spectrum, especially whether it was in a hospital setting. 

It may be the difference between life and death.

Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.

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