Telemedicine is not an option for everything in the pandemic

In the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some patients who are terrified of going to a medical office, emergency clinic, or emergency room for fear of catching the potentially deadly virus.

There are people who prefer to use telemedicine as a safer alternative. However, some risk the consequences of not receiving conventional medical care that requires certain medical conditions.

Telemedicine is in many cases a convenient and cost-effective way to receive medical services without the need to personally attend a doctor, especially in these moments of social distancing. However, telemedicine should be considered a supplement and not a substitute for in-person medical care.

There are circumstances in which it is necessary and urgent that the patient receive medical attention in person since his condition requires studies and examinations that are impossible to offer through a computer or telephone.

In the last few weeks, I have attended several patients with conditions that require urgent medical attention in person through virtual visits. Many resist the idea of ​​having to leave their homes and visit an office or medical center for fear of possible infection. However, my job is to explain the seriousness of the condition they have and to make them understand that the risk of not treating their condition properly is greater than the risk of possible exposure to the coronavirus.

Heart or brain attacks, asthma attacks that do not respond to home therapy, uncontrolled high blood pressure, profuse rectal bleeding, skin lacerations, tooth abscesses that do not respond to antibiotics, complicated urine infections (with impact on the kidney ), trauma to the head resulting in confusion, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, sudden paralysis, severe pain in the abdomen, pelvis, back, head, ears, chest, severe respiratory distress, throat infections that do not respond to antibiotics, among others cannot be properly treated through a virtual tour. They all require medical attention in person. That visit to the doctor could make the difference between life and death.

If your virtual doctor recommends that you go to an emergency room or urgent care clinic, do so, it is in your best interest. Wear a mask and keep your distance while waiting to be seen.