Thoracotomy

[Skyper1]

A friend of mine just had an emergency thoracotomy done. And he complains a lot about tge pain. I cant distinguish if he is serious or just lying to get medication.

[Sqad]

Opening the chest with a scalpel is not a walk in the park you know.

Pain relief would be available and needed.

[FatticusInch]

I would imagine that having your ribs separated and your chest cavity entered might smart a little?

[Atheist]

It sounds serious enough to warrant cutting open the chest to explore. What's it to do with you? Haven't you asked his surgeon? I'm not medically qualified, but others here might give you more info. Good luck to you both.

[bednobs]

"I cant distinguish if he is serious or just lying to get medication."
well here's some good news for you, YOU don't have to distinguish seeing as 1) you are not the one experiencing it and 2) you are not in charge of prescribing for him.

[Peter Pedant]

yes ! this is pretty painful
and coughing which is probably a must to clear the lungs
is incredz painful

pain is what the patient feels

so NOT say oh you are pretending because he will try to hit you

why hasnt he had an epidural?

Getting addicted to morph under these circumstances is very very rare. They just dont, for technical reasons, I wont bother you with

[FatticusInch]

THAT would certainly bring a tear to my eye, I have to say!
Hopefully you’ve re-evaluated your friends situation?

[Peter Pedant]

Bednobs means administering but hey so what.

prescribing, dispensing, administering ( and recording) are all part of the drug giving process

[davebro]

are you sure you mean a thoracotomy?

[Peter Pedant]

fatticus - the video is limited
and I THOUGHT it must be someone stabbed (chest of course) and stabber saying - oh shut up it isnt that painful you know!

[Peter Pedant]

oh, it cd be craniotomy ( in skyper that is! )
I didnt think of that !

[davebro]

or a laryngectomy ?

[davebro]

Like the chap who woke up after his castration operation & asked the bloke in the next bed what he was in for - " I've had a circumcision".

DAMN! "That's the word!"

[bednobs]

"Bednobs means administering but hey so what"
no i dont, i mean prescribing

[FatticusInch]

Easily done I guess?

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2003/aug/21/5

[Ringlet]

I wouldn't like to have a friend like you, who thinks it is ok to judge a person in a negative way on his level of pain after such an emergency procedure.

Can you not show your friend some sympathy, instead of doubting his motives for wanting pain relief?
An emergency thoracotomy is a very painful procedure.

[davebro]

I meant tracheotomy not laryngectomy (poss the same thing?). Couldn't think of the word.

[davebro]

//a late thoracotomy risk is post-thoracotomy pain syndrome. This syndrome involves persistent chest pain related to nerve damage that continues months after undergoing a thoracotomy//

[Peter Pedant]

no i dont, i mean prescribing

no nope - prescribing is scribbling on a pad
this is going glug glug glug
administering

A GP cd prescribe 10 mg of whatever, and if the patient glugs ( or 'takes') 40mg ( four times!) the amount administered is 40 and not 10....
the amount presribed is 10

simples....

[bednobs]

you seem to be a bit simples yourself peter. I meant prescribing (which is why i said prescribing): the prescriber is the one who has to worry about whether someone is lying to get them to prescribe pain meds

[bednobs]

^^^ mansplaining at it's finest peter - you know i used to be a macmillan nurse AND a prescriber, right?