Do You Have A Favorite Document To Give Er Doctors About Iv Fluids?

[jrlehnardt]

is there a good document or link or study of some sort that i could bring into the ER or to my doctors about how or why us Pots patients need iv fluid and feel better after? i have been to the er plenty of times and even when i need to go i keep putting it off for as long as i can, feeling worse each day just because i dont want to deal with explaining to the docotrs that all i need is iv fluid and me fearing i will have to push and fight for more than one bag. anyone have a good document i could print and bring in with me to help ease my anxiety of this. i really have not had any bad er trips but i always am so anxious about it avtually happenning.

[AllAboutPeace]

Here is the one I used

http://www.ipej.org/0602/raj.htm

It is a very thorough document. I just showed the er doc the page with "non-pharmacological treatments". He seemed to want to do something to help me out, but wanted me to see my internist for any actual decisions about meds, etc.(I was having very wide swings in hr from brady to very tachy) Saline was the perfect short term solution (the article states it is effective in increasing blood volume and acute heart rate control). He agreed to the IV then later confirmed that I had an infection, so was able to put the antibiotics in there too.

I didn't know what kind of response I was going to get, but truthfully, I didn't care. When he had his initial consult with me, he appeared slightly overwhelmed with my situation, so that's when I said "oh, I did bring some information from one of the major centers that specialize in POTS...".

The document made all the difference.

Best case scenario is that you will never need it, but if you do, I hope you get someone who was equally as responsive as the doc I had.

[rubytuesday]

Here is the one I used

http://www.ipej.org/0602/raj.htm

It is a very thorough document. I just showed the er doc the page with "non-pharmacological treatments". He seemed to want to do something to help me out, but wanted me to see my internist for any actual decisions about meds, etc.(I was having very wide swings in hr from brady to very tachy) Saline was the perfect short term solution (the article states it is effective in increasing blood volume and acute heart rate control). He agreed to the IV then later confirmed that I had an infection, so was able to put the antibiotics in there too.

I didn't know what kind of response I was going to get, but truthfully, I didn't care. When he had his initial consult with me, he appeared slightly overwhelmed with my situation, so that's when I said "oh, I did bring some information from one of the major centers that specialize in POTS...".

The document made all the difference.

Best case scenario is that you will never need it, but if you do, I hope you get someone who was equally as responsive as the doc I had.

That is smart thinking, being armed with that information. I would only add that in certain cases these days, certain health insurance plans (such as the one I have) will charge you the big co-pay for an ER visit and may charge you a larger percentage of the bill if they (in retrospect) do not deem the visit as an emergency. If POTS is a part of your medical diagnosis, they might deem it more cost-effective and medically necessary for your doctor (who treats your POTS) write a standing order for you to receive the IV fluids in your hospital's Ambulatory Care Unit or Infusion Center. I get Iv Ig at an infusion center and there are patients who come in strictly for IV fluids. (Just sharing my thoughts for whatever they are worth).

[AllAboutPeace]

Rubytuesday,

Thanks for adding that great information! I'm in Canada, so the whole medical set up is different.

My original plan was, as you mentioned, to bring the article to my internist with hopes that he would write an order, but as it turned out both he, and my PCP were on vacation that week. I agree that is the best way to go...if your doc will do it.

[Clairefmartin]

Here are a few if you care to use them:

http://stoppotsvirginia.blogspot.com/p/articles-for-er-or-doctor-visit.html

[jrlehnardt]

thanks, i ended up going in. i end up having to go in abnout every 3 weeks, and i try everytime to just put it off another day.my hubby is in the military and i have to go to the military er and my doctor has been gone on tdy and i have been meaning to talk with him. i do have an outstanding order for fluids but everytime they want to make sure there isnt another problem so i get stuck there getting blood draws, meds pushed in me, ct, ultrasounds etc. and all i want is the iv fluid. but i did find out today from an ultrasound they did that my gallbladder is not in the normal placement. instead if being i guess behind the liver it is lower and next too it. i always have pain where it is but there are no stones.

[ramakentesh]

and a new one just referring to older work I just posted in another thread.