ER Doctor Suspended After Mocking Patient Suffering From Anxiety Attack
Source: The Root
Terrell Jermaine Starr
Today 1:45pm
An emergency room physician has been suspended after a video of her mocking a patient claiming to be suffering from an anxiety attack was posted to Facebook, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
In the video, Dr. Beth Keegstra, of El Camino Hospital in Los Gatos, is seen doubting Samuel Bardwells account of what happened to him, saying, You are the least sick of all the people who are here, who are dying. So you put your head up. Dont try to tell me you cant move. Come on. Sit up.
She tries to force Bardwell to sit up by pulling at his arm, even though he clearly tells her that he is unable to.
You want us to wheel you to tour house in a gurney?, she asks him.
Read more: https://www.theroot.com/er-doctor-suspended-after-mocking-patient-suffering-fro-1826901510
Bardwell was hospitalized Monday after experiencing an anxiety attack after a basketball practice. His father, Donald, said Samuel has a history of anxiety attacks, for which he takes Klonopin. It treats seizures, panic disorder, and anxiety. Samuel had not been taking the sedative leading up the Monday anxiety attack.
She never first came in and introduced herself, Donald said. She never said her name, she never asked for his name, she never really examined him.
Keegstra even accused Donald and his son of coming in for drugs.
She said, I know why you people are here, you people who come here for drugs, and I said What do you mean you people? Donald said. She was rambling on so angrily thats why I pulled out my phone.
appalachiablue
(41,140 posts)Judi Lynn
(160,542 posts)Can't imagine why on earth she is in the emergency room, where so many people are often in traumatic situations.
Dealing with her would make it far worse for anyone.
Thanks for providing this longer look.
"Make emergency rooms great again."
yuiyoshida
(41,831 posts)What happened to the Oath, that Doctors take?
Purple Mountain Maje
(41 posts)And have her license yanked, all assets seized for reparations to the young man.
She should be banned from being a doctor.
Yes, first do no harm or there will be fricking consequences. This should be her consequence.
arithia
(455 posts)There is still a prevailing belief among many medical professionals (usually older ones) that anxiety and mental illness are "personal weakness" and we should just "get up and over it". I've had medical professionals accuse me of digging for drugs just because of my prescription list, despite no evidence of abuse and years of blood tests monitoring my blood levels that indicate compliance. I've had others accuse me of lying and putting on a show even as my internal organs shut down from adverse reactions to medications.
The stigma is real and boy is it ugly. Doesn't matter how much comes out about genetics, epigenetics, the default mode network or neural pathway limitation, there are still assholes like this woman out there.
I'm glad this woman is being investigated. She will likely kill someone with psych issues if she hasn't already.
a la izquierda
(11,795 posts)Im so grateful I have a great therapist and psychiatrist. Just get over a panic attack is a sure way to induce more for me.
RobinA
(9,893 posts)(not attacks, thank goodness) and I am female. That's a first class ticket to not being taken seriously at the doctor's office, no matter what you are there for. Once I learned that I NEVER talk about anxiety or depression to doctors.
arithia
(455 posts)Bipolar II rapid cycle, anxiety and ptsd. It took several years for cardiac specialists to diagnose the heart condition my osteopath primary care physician caught on ekg because, and I quote "You're young, you're female, you have psych issues... it's all in your head."
How many of us learn to shut up, suffer in silence and never seek treatment because of assholes like this? The stigmas gotta go!
Aristus
(66,380 posts)of scoring benzodiazipine medications.
We're constantly on the lookout for them, in primary care as well as emergency medicine.
I don't think this doctor exercised good clinical judgement in this case, however.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,719 posts)She just argued with and insulted the guy. There must be better ways of evaluating whether someone is drug-seeking than claiming "you people" only come in looking for drugs, and dropping the F-bomb. She was extremely unprofessional.
Aristus
(66,380 posts)And just as drug-scammers make it difficult for those who have a genuine need for such medications, medical care providers like her cast all of us into suspicion as heartless monsters.
FarPoint
(12,409 posts)Makes treatment assessment a huge challenge.
Anon-C
(3,430 posts)suspicions that these guys were out to score benzos?
https://cbsloc.al/2LR5yJA
And the "you people" was in reference to such scammers?
What triggered their profile? Are most people abusing this drug young and black?
Aristus
(66,380 posts)Actually, most of the drug-scammers I've had coming in have been white. And I serve an ethnically-diverse population.
eggplant
(3,911 posts)They weren't looking for an Rx, just a quiet room and a benzo for an acute attack.
Aristus
(66,380 posts)Anyone with adequate medical training can distinguish a scammer's pseudo-seizure from the real thing.
I'm getting a 'last-in-her-class' vibe from that doctor.
eggplant
(3,911 posts)My wife suffers from chronic migraines (now fairly well controlled, but there was a year which took her out), but she CAN'T take opioids -- they make her horribly sick. So we show up at an ER after a 5 day protracted migraine for her last ditch solution, an IV cocktail of benedryl, reglan, and toridol, and make it absolutely clear we don't want opioids, just this cocktail, and they stick us in the room with the one way mirror and make us wait. And then they try to give her dilaudid. Seriously? Did you hear nothing we were saying?
Response to Aristus (Reply #3)
Post removed
moriah
(8,311 posts)That's what was interesting to me.
That a doctor would get so mad at people who weren't cursing at her, who weren't yelling, etc. Was it being recorded that made her so angry? If that's the case, if you're doing everything right, you don't have anything to fear from a recording.
I can imagine usually the reverse is true. If someone's exhibiting what seems like drug-seeking behavior and is abusive to staff verbally, I could understand an f-bomb back, but not starting it.
What's worse is that IMHO a doctor could miss something fairly serious. Say, if each are happening after exertion, and they were told it was "just anxiety" last time... yes, it takes from helping those circling the drain in other cubes, but perhaps looking again at the previous visit. How long ago was it, what workup if any was done? Do they actually have Frequent Flyer status? This was a Monday apparently, not the weekend.
Then make your judgement call, before dropping the f-bomb on pts not cussing at you. Even if that's just the excuse in your head if you're really that mad, to avoid it.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,719 posts)I hope they complain to the medical board as well as the hospital, because that nasty rhymes-with-witch doesn't have any business within a mile of a patient, and especially not ER patients. If she wants to work in medicine, she should be a pathologist or a medical examiner and stay the hell away from anybody who isn't dead.
unblock
(52,243 posts)technically, i'm sure they do teach professional behavior, but clearly the emphasis is on technical knowledge and capabilities rather than on bedside manner.
in any event, plenty of doctors lack the human touch, and in fact, many patients seem to think that the more obnoxious the doctor, the better they must be technically.
appalachiablue
(41,140 posts)Given the abusive, incompetent handling of the case & general manner, I'm not sure she's capable of any medical work.
I wouldn't let her touch my pets if she was a veterinary doctor.
matt819
(10,749 posts)Half of all doctors graduated in the bottom half of their class.
George II
(67,782 posts)...nurses and doctors were not always compassionate with some of the patients.
This was the overnight shift on Fridays and Saturdays in Manhattan, a crazy time in an ER (drunks, muggings, overdoses, car accidents, etc.) so they sometimes tended to be on edge.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,719 posts)to ask him some questions about his medical history and drug prescriptions in order to determine what, if anything was wrong with him and whether he needed help.
Judi Lynn
(160,542 posts)Something is missing in her respect for life. One doesn't expect to see that from someone practicing medicine.
Demsrule86
(68,582 posts)It was outdoors and her Dad ran over and spilled his beer on her. Well I get to the hospital and I find my daughter on the floor...the nurse told her to get to the bathroom as best she could and maybe she won't drink so much next time. She fell and maybe it wasn't a compound fracture before that. I went down to the station and raised holy hell...they immediately sent the nurse home.I later wrote a letter about her malpractice...the bottom line is she assumed she had the right to sit in judgement on my daughter and she was wrong in this case but even if she wasn't wrong she had no right to do what she did...I did hear she was fired and she should find a new job not in healthcare. I am sick of hearing these sort of stories...there is no excuse. People who behave this way need to find a new vocation. And hospitals should consider that they are responsible for this stuff and will be sued.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Oneironaut
(5,500 posts)Therefore, he was instantly assumed to be a drug addict.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,719 posts)She's mean AND racist.
Renew Deal
(81,860 posts)And how deep is the training?
Demsrule86
(68,582 posts)country...I understood it when my daughter suffered depression...it was hell.
keepleft101
(82 posts)I suffer from anxiety attacks and Ive been in emergency room on several occasions I cannot imagine a doctor acted that way to me. I feel really bad for the patient and the family.
still_one
(92,204 posts)Last edited Mon Jun 18, 2018, 08:10 AM - Edit history (1)
state of affairs among attitudes among some physicians, regardless of ethinicity
They lack a sense of compassion and sensitivity that should be a requirement of any practicing physician, and even if they suspect the patient is just there to obtain drugs, and not treat a condition, this is an ER physician, and they should be trying to contact the patient's PCP, but no matter what the circumstances should any patient be treated this way
Boomer
(4,168 posts)I live in West Virginia and we've had some really unpleasant experiences in the ER. My wife was in considerable pain and even though we TOLD them that she does not react well to painkillers and that we were more worried about finding the cause of the pain, the attending physician assumed she was faking for drugs.
We were dressed pretty roughly that day, so it was pretty obvious he had pegged us as poor white trash and stopped caring or paying attention.
still_one
(92,204 posts)The Genealogist
(4,723 posts)If you've had one, you know what I am talking about. The first major one I had involved everything around me becoming very surreal, like reality was all warped. I felt like I was going to die. I can still remember the coppery taste in my mouth. I had to run out of a room full of people, it was like everything and everyone was closing in on me. I was shaking, my whole body felt hot. I work out, and I was more out of breath than after 20 minutes of strenuous cardio. I felt fear like nothing I'd felt before. Even after the worst was past, I was emotinally drained and cried uncontrollably for a good hour. I've had other attacks since, and have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder. Anxiety attacks are nothing to laugh off, and mocking someone having an attack is just cruel.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)I don't suffer from anxiety, but I had what I felt had to have been an anxiety attack once anyway, though it was a lot milder than yours.
Mine was basically that I felt as if I was having trouble breathing, and of course a pervasive feeling of anxiety. I decided to get up and work a bit because I normally found that calm and relaxing, but it got worse, extremely uncomfortable to the point that I couldn't think of anything but breathing and that my husband would have to take me to the ER it if it got even a tiny bit worse (and longed to be there anyway). I tried pouring myself a drink and turning on the TV, and it went off.
I knew people did have anxiety attacks, though, so I've always felt it was useful to have experienced something of what they do. I certainly understand how it can force someone to the ER, like this poor person.
Hope you get a good response to whatever treatment you use.
The Genealogist
(4,723 posts)They did have me on more powerful meds up til about 10 years ago.
a la izquierda
(11,795 posts)And I was 35000 feet up. It was the stuff nightmares are made of.
Rhiannon12866
(205,457 posts)I was also on a plane, New York to Helsinki. I told the flight attendant I thought I was having a heart attack (I was barely 30) and she told me she'd seen them and I wasn't. I asked how much longer the flight was and she said 6 hours! They moved me to a seat up front with a curtain and one of them sat and talked with me for the rest of the flight, I'll never forget their kindness - and I definitely recommend flying Finnair!
The Genealogist
(4,723 posts)Frances
(8,545 posts)About 6 years ago El Camino Hospital sent my white 82 year old husband home too soon. When he fainted the next am I took him to Urgent Care who called an ambulance to take him back to El Camino, the nearest hospital. I explained that El Camino didnt want my husband even though we had insurance. I was told that my husbands blood pressure was so low that the law required the hospital to take him. I guess someone at Urgent Care called the ER because my husband was treated like royalty when we got there
Raine
(30,540 posts)she should consider herself lucky that she's not prone to anxiety attacks, they're horrible, they're real and you feel like you're going to die!