On Call Surgery

Chest Pain

Chest pain is one of the most concerning calls you will receive. Chest pain may represent a nonserious problem such as heartburn or a life-threatening problem such as acute myocardial infarction (MI). To best handle chest pain calls, approach it…

Bowel Function—Constipation and Diarrhea

Phone calls regarding your patients’ bowel functions will be frequent; fortunately, many of these problems can be managed over the phone. Patients may have changes in bowel function while hospitalized because of dietary changes, less mobility, narcotic analgesics, and other…

Abdominal Pain

One of the most common calls, abdominal pain, is also one of the most difficult to evaluate. Whole textbooks have been written on the approach to abdominal pain in surgical patients. This chapter is not meant to replace those books,…

On-Call Hazards

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Documentation of On-Call Problems

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Approach to On-Call Surgical Problems

Why write a book on surgical on-call problems? All surgical training programs require time spent “on call.” This is the time, usually overnight or on weekends, during which a physician is responsible for the care of hospitalized patients. It is…