Korean Job Discussion Forums

[yeti08]

Alright so I am trying to find out if there is anything I can do about malpractice. I'd also like to hear any other ER horror stories.

Long story short -- I partially dislocated my elbow playing basketball. The joint was in place and had a full range of motion, but was really sore and swollen. So I went to the ER. Big mistake. Before anyone says it was the language barrier, shut it. I speak decent Korean and had my girlfriend with me who is really good at translating.
We arrived and waited upwards of 45 minutes before anything happened. After 45 minutes a nurse came over and took my blood pressure and temperature. Then handed me a frozen bottle of water to use as an ice pack?!?! No bag, no wrap, just a frozen bottle of water. At a hospital. I had a ziploc bag of crushed ice with a bandana on it from my house. So even though it was almost completely melted I denied the frozen bottle of water. The brick of ice would have caused more harm than good. What ER doesn't have an icepack?
After waiting another 20 minutes a doctor came over and we explained the situation, he came to my waiting room seat. Conversed with us for under a minute, did not even touch my arm. Then sent me to get Xrays. I wanted to walk out, but my gf insisted I continue. I got the Xrays and went back to the ER. Waited another 10-15 minutes and the doctor came back and said there's no break. Still not touching or examining the arm. He told me I'd get a splint and have to come back or schedule another appointment elsewhere in 3 days. I was livid. I got the splint which was a quick cast and several ace bandages. The swelling had not yet subsided, so the cast was a really bad idea. I tried arguing the cast saying I wouldn't be able to ice it now. The nurse left and came back insisting I need to get this.
The next day the cast was causing a lot of pain and with the ER prescribing NO anti-inflammitories or pain killers I was in a lot of pain. I took the cast off and the elbow was swollen much more. Since taking the cast off I have been icing it and wrapping it to protect it. The swelling and pain have subsided 10 fold since removing the cast. I will not be reporting to any hospital to get a check-up. I was billed 193,500 won for the ER visit. Half of which will be covered by my insurance company.

Can I argue that they made the injury worse and not pay anything? Has anyone else had similar awful experiences? I thought Korea was a developed nation.......frozen water bottle?

[Radius]

It'll be in the same in America soon. Socialized health care. No thanks.

[crescent]

[thegadfly]

Sorry, but if you add 2 hours of waiting at the front end, an hour of waiting in the middle, and double or triple the cost of the visit, it sounds like a trip to a US hospital emergency room....

Pain gets worse for 3 days after the injury -- pain will be the worst on the third day -- after that it should lessen. If it does NOT by day 4, then yeah, there is a problem -- but injuries hurt MORE in the first three days after receiving them -- the body's way of saying, "hey, don't move this injured part!"

It sucks that you had a bad experience when you were hurting, but really, it wasn't THAT bad of an experience. In the US I have waited 90 minutes for a SCHEDULED appointment, and have had to sit for up to 4 hours with a bloody towel on my hand, waiting to see someone to sew me up. Didn't get prescribed any painkillers then either....

[methdxman]

[yeti08]

[yeti08]

[thegadfly]

Unprofessional? Naw, it wasn't unprofessional -- it was TOO professional. It was workmanlike, which bothers a lot of people. Doctors here come in, do what they need to do, and get on to the next person. You don't get questions answered unless you insist, you don't get stuff explained unless you insist, and you don't get touchy-feely conversation -- bone ain't through the skin, x-ray shows no break? Bounce, bay-bee! Try not to use it, put it in a splint/sling, and if it keeps hurting after a week, come back -- next!

Nothing wrong with that -- I'd rather have Dr. Cox treat me than J.D.

[yeti08]

Right I'd too rather have a Doctor treat me than an intern.

The point is they made it worse, gave me a frozen water bottle and not an ice pack, and even I know that you shouldn't cast something until the swelling has subsided.

[nathanrutledge]

How do you know it was dislocated? Are you a doctor?

All the doctor would be doing is finding out about pain and swelling. You come in and complain "my elbow hurts" and it's really swollen, and your arm isn't purple (from a ruptured artery), then an X-Ray is the next step.

Having dislocated bones before, what they did doesn't sound out of line. The typical procedure for non-serious dislocations is to immobilize it after it's back in place. You had full range of motion, the doc looked at the x-ray, he gave you the splint. What more did you expect him to do?

Sure, the improper icepack would be a problem, but at the same time, maybe they just assumed you'd put the ice into the wrap you were using. Did you ask them for an actual pack instead of the brick they gave you?

Really, it sounds like you get the treatment you needed and you're just upset that it wasn't what you expected.

To answer the question, if your arm falls off, you might have a case for malpractice, but until then, you're SOL.

[thegadfly]

I got the impression you were given the splint/cast thingy because you were pitching a fit about it, not because it was the recommended treatment.

Is this really all about an icepack vs. a frozen waterbottle?

Can't drink an icepack when it melts

[nathanrutledge]

[Johnwayne]

[thegadfly]

[thevillagersid]

deleted