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shr7 · 12-14-2009, 01:10

Just to clarify-

I asked the question here in addition to performing research on my own, so that I could be an informed patient when going back to discuss with the oral surgeon. I was wondering what the general guidelines or normal evidence based practices were for this kind of procedural sedation, or if there are any published guidelines. In addition to looking for anecdotal evidence from those who may have been through the procedure before. I am well aware of where any information learned here would fall on the hierarchy of evidence and only intended to use this as a starting point, and not a finishing point.

That said, I worded the question very poorly and my overall intentions were unacceptable. I was looking for medical advice on an internet BBS that is not designed to give that kind of advice. Instead of taking the time to talk to the oral surgeon and address my concerns, I tried to take a shortcut and receive medical advice on here. I was wrong, and I apologize.

It is my understanding through the responses here and through my own research that while guidelines exist, they do not specify drug/dose/route per procedure, and that choice of agent is practitioner specific with patient input. I will take this information into account when I go speak to the oral surgeon. Thank you to everyone for their input.

To address the other questions floating around about how best to speak up and ask questions of the medical professional. I would suggest you take a similar approach as you would for any other professional. Educate yourself as best you can before going in, and ask questions respectfully, but forcibly. Make sure your questions are being answered fully and that you understand exactly what is being done. Go in respecting the knowledge base of your physician, but understanding that medical issues are not always black and white, and sometimes you have to challenge your physician in order to fully understand the issue. Also, respect the experience your physician has. There is a reason why they do rotations before they can be licensed. Just reading about a condition or medication is not enough to know how to treat the condition or how to use the medication properly in all patients.

A quick reference on being a "smart" patient:
http://www.abms.org/who_we_help/consumers/educate.aspx

The "health resources" linked in the article links websites that can offer good information to the layperson. I usually refer to the Mayo Clinic source for good, simple medical information.

I know I may be young and idealistic, but every time a patient questions me, I see it as an opportunity to double or triple check myself. From asking myself "Are they referencing a study that I need to read?" to "Yeah, why does that pill look different than the one they were getting?" Having a patient catch an error is far superior than no one catching it. This doesn't just mean at the pharmacy, a study published earlier this year by AHRQ noted that 70% of the medication errors in the study were prescribing errors.

I will every now and then read an article on WebMD and learn something completely new. Or, a drug rep will come in and tell me something I have never heard before. I will then proceed to hit the textbooks and primary literature and work on understanding mechanisms and implications. I try not to treat the issue any differently if it is the patient who brings this information to my attention.

Questions I would like to know before taking any medication would be:

Are there any other names for this medication?
Do I need to take this medication?
Is this an on label use for this medication or an off label use?
Has this medication been proven to work for my condition?
Are there other medications that I can take?
What are the possible side effects?
When and how should I take this medication?
How soon will this medication start to work?
Will I need any lab tests while taking this medication?
Will this interact with any of my other medications?
Are there any food/drink/activities I need to avoid?
How long do I need to take this medication?
What do I do if I miss a dose?

If I can think of others, I'll add them.

Sorry for the length and wordiness. Trying to salvage my mistake. If it a misguided effort, let me know, I'll call it a day.

SR

12-14-2009, 01:10	#13
shr7 Asset Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pittsburgh PA Posts: 50	Just to clarify- I asked the question here in addition to performing research on my own, so that I could be an informed patient when going back to discuss with the oral surgeon. I was wondering what the general guidelines or normal evidence based practices were for this kind of procedural sedation, or if there are any published guidelines. In addition to looking for anecdotal evidence from those who may have been through the procedure before. I am well aware of where any information learned here would fall on the hierarchy of evidence and only intended to use this as a starting point, and not a finishing point. That said, I worded the question very poorly and my overall intentions were unacceptable. I was looking for medical advice on an internet BBS that is not designed to give that kind of advice. Instead of taking the time to talk to the oral surgeon and address my concerns, I tried to take a shortcut and receive medical advice on here. I was wrong, and I apologize. It is my understanding through the responses here and through my own research that while guidelines exist, they do not specify drug/dose/route per procedure, and that choice of agent is practitioner specific with patient input. I will take this information into account when I go speak to the oral surgeon. Thank you to everyone for their input. To address the other questions floating around about how best to speak up and ask questions of the medical professional. I would suggest you take a similar approach as you would for any other professional. Educate yourself as best you can before going in, and ask questions respectfully, but forcibly. Make sure your questions are being answered fully and that you understand exactly what is being done. Go in respecting the knowledge base of your physician, but understanding that medical issues are not always black and white, and sometimes you have to challenge your physician in order to fully understand the issue. Also, respect the experience your physician has. There is a reason why they do rotations before they can be licensed. Just reading about a condition or medication is not enough to know how to treat the condition or how to use the medication properly in all patients. A quick reference on being a "smart" patient: http://www.abms.org/who_we_help/consumers/educate.aspx The "health resources" linked in the article links websites that can offer good information to the layperson. I usually refer to the Mayo Clinic source for good, simple medical information. I know I may be young and idealistic, but every time a patient questions me, I see it as an opportunity to double or triple check myself. From asking myself "Are they referencing a study that I need to read?" to "Yeah, why does that pill look different than the one they were getting?" Having a patient catch an error is far superior than no one catching it. This doesn't just mean at the pharmacy, a study published earlier this year by AHRQ noted that 70% of the medication errors in the study were prescribing errors. I will every now and then read an article on WebMD and learn something completely new. Or, a drug rep will come in and tell me something I have never heard before. I will then proceed to hit the textbooks and primary literature and work on understanding mechanisms and implications. I try not to treat the issue any differently if it is the patient who brings this information to my attention. Questions I would like to know before taking any medication would be: Are there any other names for this medication? Do I need to take this medication? Is this an on label use for this medication or an off label use? Has this medication been proven to work for my condition? Are there other medications that I can take? What are the possible side effects? When and how should I take this medication? How soon will this medication start to work? Will I need any lab tests while taking this medication? Will this interact with any of my other medications? Are there any food/drink/activities I need to avoid? How long do I need to take this medication? What do I do if I miss a dose? If I can think of others, I'll add them. Sorry for the length and wordiness. Trying to salvage my mistake. If it a misguided effort, let me know, I'll call it a day. SR Last edited by shr7; 12-14-2009 at 02:00.
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