Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You refuse to do the tests.
You know that the food in this patient's stomach will impact the tests.
This is the real-life decision made by medical lab technician Hugh Price.
"Accuracy and care are essential in medical lab tests. Sloppiness on the part
of technicians can mean a misdiagnosis for the patient."
In this situation, however, there is no right answer. You could send the
patient home or you could take the tests. The most important point is to notify
his doctor of the situation.
"If you send him home without conferring with his doctor, you could be
interfering with his medical treatment," says lab tech Lisa Gurney. "You should
always go back to the doctor."
In this situation, Price immediately notified the doctor of the patient's
condition after sending him home. Although the lab closed for the weekend,
a nearby hospital was open. By letting the doctor know the tests were not
done, he could tell the patient to have them done the next day. This time,
the patient did follow the instructions and had an empty stomach.