<p>The exact nature of EK4’s complaint on that point eludes me. Is she upset that it’s too long? Or not long enough? It strikes me as odd that one could have so much confidence in the administration of an allopathic pill to want a lifelong supply, but not enough in the allopathic administrator of it to accept that follow-ups would be necessary.</p>
<p>And I’m also very unclear as to how any sort of arrangement would save the psychiatrist in question any money.</p>
<p>very interesting thread - I am reminded of the time I got strep throat three times in six weeks. Each time, within 3-4 days of finishing my antibiotic, I was sick again. The answer - D1 was what they referred to as a ‘silent carrier’. She was carrying the darn thing around in her throat (they swabbed her and she came back positive, despite not having any symptoms) and kept giving it to me because I was so run down. Once they treated her and me at the same time, it was fine.</p>
<p>I gather there are many similiar bacteria and viruses that live in people, who can pass it on, but who never have symptoms. That’s what’s scary. That’s also the best reason for stringent personal hygiene (washing hands). Since I started in health care four years ago, and have adopted good hand-washing practices, I have not been sick with a bacteria or virus. I used to get sick 3-4 times a year. Of course, those things in my house that I used to refer to as little petri dishes (my kids) have also since grown up and don’t bring stuff home like they did when they were little.</p>
<p>Not to bring another possibility into this scenario, but is it possible she entered the ER with a non-meningitis virus, then was infected with the meningitis while in the ER? I’m just wondering how the timing of it all would play out. I, too, wonder how it took her three days to die from it, if she had it when she was in the ER.</p>
<p>Also, regarding her leaving the ER AMA; lots and lots of people have phobias of hospitals - I’m not saying that they just don’t like them. They have true phobias. Given any window of opportunity to leave, they will, and will not hear any suggestion that they might stay. We don’t know if this poor girl had been traumatized by any previous hospital experiences or those of loved ones that caused her to bolt (if that’s what she did). That being said, almost any time we’ve had an ER visit (or even acute care clinics for that matter), we almost always get a follow-up phone call a day or two later to see how we’re doing. We’re also told if symptoms get worse, to return right away.</p>
<p>Great post, Mike. You sound like you are (will be?) a great physician.</p>
<p>Here is a good discussion of the carriage state in the Journal of Medical Microbiology (2004): <a href=“http://jmm.sgmjournals.org/cgi/content/full/53/9/821[/url]”>http://jmm.sgmjournals.org/cgi/content/full/53/9/821</a></p>
<p>Here is general info on meningitis: <a href=“meningitisfoundationofamerica.org - meningitisfoundationofamerica Resources and Information.”>meningitisfoundationofamerica.org - meningitisfoundationofamerica Resources and Information.;
<p>this particular incident that I am referring to was during the 70s, when psychotropic medications were dispensed pretty freely.
My father was on Meprobamate,Methaqualone & Imipramine.
He died from an accidental ? overdose when he was 43.</p>
<p>I don’t think that patients who are on strong medications, should be the only ones montitoring their medication, but because of insurance constraints, it seems that physicians may err on the side of trying to save the patient money .</p>
<p>That being said, almost any time we’ve had an ER visit (or even acute care clinics for that matter), we almost always get a follow-up phone call a day or two later to see how we’re doing. We’re also told if symptoms get worse, to return right away.</p>
<p>That is amazing.
When my younger daughter had several suspected ear infections as a preschooler, her regular clinic was so busy they told us to go to the ER. Because she wasn’t leaking body fluid, we wait there for literally hours before we were seen and we never received a phone call.
I actually gave up taking her, because when she had an ear infection - she wouldn’t take the medication anyway- she would cry so hard she would vomit, or she would stick her arm down her throat to make herself do so. 
not fun
Unfortunately, she seems to have my ear canals, I had many ear infections when I was a child, so severe that my drums burst on at least two seperate occasions.
D even got an ear infection last year at 16. This time at least she took the medication, but we also used garlic oil to help with the pain.</p>
<p>We also are resuming her vaccinations- weve done Hep A and B and her last MMR, then we go onto Typhoid, Meningococcal and Yellow Fever.</p>
<p>But Ive never had anyone in may family contract shingles and the fact that both my parents were hospitalized for meningitis but without long lasting effects says to me, that perhaps we have hardy immune systems- which I find very intriquing- Im still wondering where I caught Hep B</p>
<p>I, too, have never gotten a follow up phone call from an ER visit, and we’ve had several. In fact, I’ve never gotten a follow up phone call at all, from our primary care physicians or from specialists. Their assumption is that if something happens, we’ll call them.</p>
<p>A word to parents with kids in the Boston-area – meningitis is being taken VERY seriously in Boston. My D, very sick since last week, went to her school clinic Friday, then to ER yesterday. At both places, doctors sought to rule out meningitis as soon as she got there. D does not have meningitis, it’s probably either a powerful viral infection or mono (sigh…) we should know later today with the results of the various tests she underwent. But it was reassuring that this college kid – one of tens of thousands in the city, half of whom are probably sick at this time of year – received careful and prompt medical attention.</p>
<p>Bentley College (Boston area) student died of meningitis over the weekend.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/10/bentley_student.html[/url]”>http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/10/bentley_student.html</a></p>
<p>Best wishes to you and your D, Katliamom! It’s so hard being far away when they’re sick. And good for your daughter that she went to the health center right away.</p>
<p>Thanks ASAP. Yes, it’s hard being so far away. I did send her some chicken noodle soup and challah bread through an online service. It made ME feel better, at least…</p>
<p>Although this is rare, here is another case from a Florida college just a few weeks ago where a 19 year old girl died. Just the awareness of the symptoms and how to react are important to convey to our children. The college my daughter attends does not require the vaccination, but recommends it. My daughter did not have it, and I had decided she did not need to have it. Foolishly. After I read this article, she was at the health center getting the vaccination.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/sep/25/na-death-of-student-raises-meningitis-concerns/[/url]”>http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/sep/25/na-death-of-student-raises-meningitis-concerns/</a></p>