Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Against medical advice: Patient leaves hospital despite heart attack diagnosis

Veronica Bonales, MD
Physician
August 4, 2024
Share
Tweet
Share

Interior hospital: (Patient screaming and crying out as they are wheeled in through the ambulance bay and brought into a room …)

Doctor: What brings you in today?

Patient: You gotta help me, Doc … My chest hurts. I think I’m having a heart attack!

Doctor: OK, sir. We’re going to do a series of tests, including an EKG and chest X-ray, and give you aspirin.

Patient: Whatever you’ve got to do, I don’t wanna die! I’ve got family … I’ve got kids! Don’t let me die!

Doctor: We’re going to do everything we can to help you …

(About 90 minutes later …)

Doctor: Okay, sir, your tests show you’re having a heart attack. You don’t need to be rushed to the cath lab right now, but we’re going to admit you for further work-up. You’ll probably go first thing in the morning.

Patient: You mean I have to stay in the hospital?

Doctor: Yes, we’re going to do an echo, start you on some heparin, and monitor you.

Patient: Well, I’m feeling better, and if all you’re going to do is monitor me, then I can come back in the morning …

Doctor: Well, no. You need the blood thinner to keep your heart arteries from clogging further, and you need to be monitored.

Patient: Well, I have things to do; I can’t just sit around all night waiting.

ADVERTISEMENT

Doctor: You do understand you’re having a heart attack?

Patient: Well, you say I am, but I don’t think I am. I feel pretty good now.

Doctor: That’s because we’ve given you medications to help increase the blood supply to your heart, but there are other things we need to do …

Patient: Well, I’ve got to go feed my dogs, and I can’t just call in to work. Plus, my elderly mother needs me to get some things from the store for her … I’ll come back in the morning … Besides, I’m dying for a smoke.

Doctor: Okay, well, this AMA form says you’re leaving against medical advice, and you understand you could die from your heart attack or your heart could suffer irreversible damage. There’s also a risk of stroke … other risks include …

Patient: I’m not signing that! You don’t need to get all dramatic with “you’re going to die” and all that.

Doctor: You have to understand the risks of leaving without getting proper treatment for your heart attack.

(Patient starts removing all of their medical monitoring equipment and starts getting their clothing.)

Patient (pointing to their IV): Get this $#!+ out of my arm and let me go. You’re just trying to make money off me, and I’m not staying around for that! Just write me for some pain meds and get me a taxi because I’m leaving!

Doctor: You’re leaving AMA, so we’re not going to do that.

Patient: So I’m just supposed to walk home, I guess, with my quote-unquote heart attack?! What kind of $%#* place is this? You didn’t do anything. I’ve been sitting around waiting, and now you just want me to sit around all night. Plus, I didn’t even get anything to eat; I hadn’t eaten all day.

Doctor: We couldn’t give you anything to eat in case you got worse and needed to go to the cath lab sooner.

Patient: No wonder everyone says this place sucks …

(Patient is escorted by security, screaming and yelling at everyone as they are walked out …)

And, Scene.

Veronica Bonales is an emergency physician.

Prev

Avoiding the curse of knowledge in health care

August 4, 2024 Kevin 1
…
Next

Hope after a spinal cord injury [PODCAST]

August 4, 2024 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Cardiology

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Avoiding the curse of knowledge in health care
Next Post >
Hope after a spinal cord injury [PODCAST]

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Veronica Bonales, MD

  • When saving a child isn’t possible: a heartbreaking day in the ED

    Veronica Bonales, MD
  • The forgotten patients: When missing people are just lost

    Veronica Bonales, MD
  • ER doctor’s adrenaline-fueled night: from life-saving procedures to unpredictable chaos

    Veronica Bonales, MD

Related Posts

  • A universal patient medical record

    Michael R. McGuire
  • The impact of panels early in medical school on informing patient-centered care

    Sangrag Ganguli and Varun Mehta
  • Medical errors? Sorry, not sorry.

    Iris Kulbatski, PhD
  • Simultaneously being a medical student and patient

    Emily S. Hagen, MD
  • The impact of assumptions on patient communication in medical training

    Esther Covington
  • How cartoons can alleviate medical stress

    Dan Rosandich

More in Physician

  • The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school

    Curtis G. Graham, MD
  • The physician who turned burnout into a mission for change

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • Time theft: the unseen harm of abusive oversight

    Kayvan Haddadan, MD
  • Why more doctors are leaving clinical practice and how it helps health care

    Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA
  • Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • Why starting with why can transform your medical practice

    Neil Baum, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
    • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

      Ralph Messo, DO | Physician
    • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
    • Clinical ghosts and why they haunt our exam rooms

      Kara Wada, MD | Conditions
    • High blood pressure’s hidden impact on kidney health in older adults

      Edmond Kubi Appiah, MPH | Conditions
    • Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How declining MMR vaccination rates put future generations at risk

      Ambika Sharma, Onyi Oligbo, and Katrina Green, MD | Conditions
    • The physician who turned burnout into a mission for change

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
    • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

      Ralph Messo, DO | Physician
    • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
    • Clinical ghosts and why they haunt our exam rooms

      Kara Wada, MD | Conditions
    • High blood pressure’s hidden impact on kidney health in older adults

      Edmond Kubi Appiah, MPH | Conditions
    • Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How declining MMR vaccination rates put future generations at risk

      Ambika Sharma, Onyi Oligbo, and Katrina Green, MD | Conditions
    • The physician who turned burnout into a mission for change

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...