Hospital Rotations Lesson 1: Alphabet Soup

Was it only three weeks ago that I was ironing my white lab coat, desperately trying to smooth out the starchy wrinkles and my own flustered nerves?  Now three weeks later my original anxiety about working on the hospital floors has subsided, and I'm enjoying the fast-pace clinical experience.  I'm thankful for the dietitians who are teaching me, and I have some lessons to share (look out for several blog posts).
Lesson 1: The Game of Alphabet Soup

Reading the medical charts is like playing alphabet soup; it's a hot mess of swirling letters and abbreviations.  The physician notes are rarely legible, making each spoonful a game of translation and decoding.   Can you guess what this means: "Pt. p/w CP, c/o SOB with PMH of CAD s/p OHTx in 2008."  On my first day on the cardiology floor it took me several minutes to learn that, "Patient presented with Chest Pain, complaining of Shortness Of Breath, with a Past Medical History of Coronary Artery Disease status post a heart transplant in 2008."  It can be very discouraging, but I am finding that with each day I'm getting better.
I spent two weeks in cardiology, but now I'm on the surgical floors.  Each new service is a fresh bowl of soup, a new mix of letters, and the start of a whole new game.  Slurp!

Handout I made.  Heart disease leads to fluid accumulation.  Taking medications and limiting fluids helps these patients decrease the extra fluid and swelling in their body. 

Happy Monday!
Do you have any thoughts on the hospital?
Coming next...Lesson 2: The Humility Pill
Bye,
Rachel
(Photo from The American)