spacer "Just says here to take you to X-ray. They know all about it. They'll take good care of you. You don't have to worry about a thing."

Reluctantly, Tom folded his newspaper and got into the wheelchair. The orderly greeted other employees enthusiastically as he navigated a series of long corridors and two different elevators.

Tom was getting more and more concerned as the journey continued. His doctor hadn't said anything about any more tests. And he was feeling much better. Why did he need another test?

Finally, they arrived and the orderly said, "Now, don't you worry. When they're finished, they'll call up and you'll get me or somebody else to come take you back to your room."

Tom wasn't worried about getting back to his room. He was worried about the test.

The X-ray technician started preparing to inject something into Tom's IV.

May 15, 2011

Avoid being the victim of a medical mix-up

by Elizabeth L. Bewley

Tom, age 45, was in the hospital hooked up to an IV line. The fluid going into his vein contained antibiotics to treat an abdominal infection. It was his second day in the hospital and he was feeling much better. The extreme pain that he'd had in his belly was completely gone, but he knew he had to keep getting the antibiotics for a while longer.

He looked up when an orderly entered the room, pushing a wheelchair.

"Okay, buddy," the orderly said cheerfully, "In you go."

Tom was a little perplexed.

"Where are we going?"

"Down to X-ray. Way in the basement in the other building. I call it the dungeon sometimes, it's so gloomy-looking. They try to cheer it up by painting the walls bright colors, but it's still a dungeon to me."

"Okay, but why are we going there?"

"They want you to have a test."

"What kind of test?"