cat FIGHT?

I have been feeling this vibe throughout my patient care when it comes to certain internal medicine MDs and a certain cardiology group where I work, aka: the best place to work in the whole world. I thought at first that it was just me, that I was just imagining this rift due to an over active imagination and high tendencies towards drama. After last weeks shift work I have come to the conclusion: I am not imagining this, I am feeling it, seeing it, stuck in the middle of it, and my patients although safe, could have better outcomes if it were not for this rift going on. Can you imagine? Health care providers alert: this really is happening. I am not sure why or when it started but here is one example, that I am not even sure I should be blogging about. I mean it feels taboo to even write about. It feels like protected  going ons of inside hospital information. I have to get this off my mind though AND want to know if anyone else has experienced this AND how to best advocate for my patients during this what appears to be a cat fight.
(thinks about how to twist the facts and still provide an accurate description of what I am trying to describe)

This is not just one internal MD, it is a few of them and the cardiology group is a pretty big one and they stick together like a well trained military unit.

Example: Who is managing this patient?

Patient comes in for a urinary tract infection (besides the point really until the end of this example). IMD (internal medicine admitting MD)  admits this patient. The patient comes in with lethargy, and change of mental status from home. The patient is found on admission to be in a rapid Atrial fibrillation is started on Cardizem IV in the ED and admitted to telemetry. The urine sent from the ED reveals a UTI. So the patient also gets treated with antibiotics. IMD consults the cardiology group. Cardio does their job: Patient on Cardizem IV bridging to oral Cardizem, Heparin bridging to Coumadin all while checking diagnostics to determine perhaps why this patient has a new onset of atrial fibrillation, stroke risk, anti-coagulation risks versus benefits, etc… The IMD IMD “>presribes the antibiotics at a low dose for only 4 doses and then discontinued. The patient is well controlled on IV cardizem without any side effects or complaints. So the Cardio MD prescribes oral cardizem and discontinues the drip. (usual right? yes.) Unfortunately the patient who does not trust the medical profession does not want to take the cardizem pill. Why? Do not know, she just does not like it, does not want it. So the IMD comes in every day (after the cardiologist is long gone)  and takes the patient off oral cardizem because he knows the patient does not want it, and prescribes digoxin orally for the patient. The patient only trusts IMD and if IMD were to explain to the patient: “You did well on IV Cardizem the oral will be good for you and you are being treated by knowledgable experts of cardiology and I trust your care with their prescribed interventions for you.” Here is the problem. IMD does not load the patient with IV digoxin. The  pre=”The “>cardizem drip has been off for a while, then BAMM right back to Atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response. Here we go…this is where it gets fun. RN calls Cardio right? Tells the Cardio MD:  uhhhggggg. I have to tell you that patient so and so of IMD that you are the cardio consulting specialist is back in rapid a fib….and….IMD discontinued the oral cardizem after you left today, started the patient on oral digoxin, the patient has gotten one dose. The patient is symptomatic, uncontrolled and now hypotensive and from shift report the nurses tell me that this is the third time this week for this same patient. RN says: what do you want me to give this patient to control this rate? Cardio MD says: I want this patient on Cardizem. UGHHHHHHHHHHHH! Cardio MD says: “call IMD and ask why he keeps discontinuing the cardizem or ask him why he consulted cardiology in the first place.”

 He then says, “Ask him if a cardiology consult just looks good on paper even though you rescind the prescribed intervention?”

NO. I am not getting in the middle of this. I am tired of it! (this is one example of a few just from lately from these doctors)

See in my humble nurse opinion:

3 times cardizem IV went up on the patient. The cardiology knew that IMD kept discontinuing the oral cardizem at the request of the patient who is not mentally intact by the way. IMD kept ordering digoxin orally. They both see this and know what is going on. They are both taking a stand against each other but no one is managing the patient. The IMD could of let the cardiologist manage this, the IMD could have called the cardiologist and said, “the patient does not like the cardizem, is there an alternative solution? (of course there is). The cardiologist could have seen that the IMD kept prescribing digoxin and could have written orders to load the patient with IV digoxin and maybe some atenolol on the side to go with it, but hey: I am just a sort of new nurse that notices the trends in what medications control heart rates. And guess what else the IMD did? Discontinued the IV antibiotics after four doses and 2 days later the patient is febrile probably exacerbating this fast heart rate even more. (RN cries for help) Why?

Can anyone believe this?

It is not all internal medicine MDs, just a few and they are only doing this to this one cardiology group (not to any of the other cardiology groups.) So I do not know what their problems are (well yeah I know) but it does not matter! My patients need better management and I am begging for it, stuck in the middle crying. I understand cardiology making their statement: “If you want us to manage on consult: LET us do our job.” I sort of understand the Internal Meds: but not when it gets this far out of hand and not when your patient comes in with a UTI and only 4 low doses of antibiotics are given, and the patient is febrile, with mental decline and hypotensive, and I ASK for orders for antibiotics and IV fluids and you tell me no AND the patient is in uncontrolled atrial fibrillation and you tell me let us just monitor the patient. Uh no no. Sorry. Not me today. I will get the Cardizem bolus and drip up per cardiology AND some IV fluids for hypotension  per cardiology AND I will not tell you that I am at this moment: Getting blood cultures times two, a urine sample (that we already know is positive!) a CBC, Chemistry, Lactate level, and coags!

And guess what! 2 hours later I call you with these results and interventions: Your patient has a lactate level >4, is hypotensive getting normal saline per the cardiologist, the heart rate rhythm is still uncontrolled (although a bit better thanx to cardio), the white blood cell count has doubled since yesterday! Your patient is febrile refusing tylenol because he thinks we are trying to slip him a cardizem pill (did someone tell this patient not to take oral cardizem or what?) and anyway the patient is probably to lethargic to take pills now,  AND the house physician has transferred the patient to the intensive care unit  AND would you like to consult a critical care MD for ICU management or are you coming in to see the patient?

Anyone out there understand  or relate ? because I am just shocked by this childish mis-managed behaviour. We are health care providers, not big egos waiting to be stroked! (or what ever the heck the problem is)

*Disclaimer: I feel better getting this off my mind but if any patients or future patients are reading this please note that this is not normal, not the usual, and not all MDs no matter what specialty.