This is another true story of a great save. Patient set up care with us because his insurance wanted a letter for annual physicals. We did annual physicals and noted all the baseline values in the chart and told the patient to see us for health issues. Patient subsequently booked appointment with us following an ER visit for worsening abdominal pain. During this visit, we noted the tell tale signs of something very serious but missed out by the ER. Patient had elevated Lipase in thousands! But ER nurse practitioner forgot to connect the dots for elevated lipase and abdominal pain.
We insisted that patient go back to same ER and get tests done and provide differential diagnosis so that ER nurse practitioner can fix the earlier miss. They were reluctant to repeat the imaging (Earlier imaging said ulcers) ; When imaging was repeated after we provided the differential diagnosis, the radiologist confirmed pancreatic cancer.
If you have elevated Lipase make sure you get checked for Pancreatitis. After ER visit or hospital visit, book a follow up appointment with your primary care.
Good primary care treats you for most of the issues. Great primary care puts your interest above that of the third parties who have infested healthcare in America. Patient was very reluctant to go back to ER for talking to them about elevated lipase. But we are glad he changed the mind after our persistence and pancreatic cancer was not missed.
We are getting reports on the progress of the patient through chemo and surgery and we are glad that our patient is safe.