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roamingthroughbaja
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Posts: 143
Registered: 11-16-2007
Location: La Paz, BCS
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Bad experience in Salvatierra Hospital La Paz
To skip to the bottom line....don't go there. Here's the story:
Late last Tuesday night, my husband suddenly got a pounding feeling in his head, a terrible headache and started vomiting. I decided to get him into
the hospital as quickly as possible, which wasn't too fast as he was hanging over the toilet. We went to emergency at Salvatierra as I have had lots
of people say that they have the most equipment to handle emergencies--more than the smaller hospitals. We got to emergency, they settled him in a
bed and eventually a doctor came to check on him. They took his blood pressure which was very high gave him a shot for pain, some aspirin and some BP
meds. They left him under observation for an hour and a half, and then prescribed some medicine basically for acid indigestion, some BP meds and some
baby aspirin. Before he left, I asked them to check his blood pressure again. It was still really high, and the doctor commented that everyone who
had come to emergency that night had high blood pressure. I asked the doctor to check with another machine. His blood pressure was normal. Oops.
So I took him home, had a very bad night, and in the morning took him to Fidepaz Hospital. It turns out he was bleeding into his brain. Aspirin
could have killed him. He's still in hospital today. What were they thinking in Salvatierra? Don't go there.
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noproblemo2
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OMG I am so sorry to hear this, what an awful experience for both of you. Will say a prayer for his speedy recovery.
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roamingthroughbaja
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Location: La Paz, BCS
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Thanks, we can use all of the prayers, good thoughts, positive energy, healing, etc., that you all have.
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comitan
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Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
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Mood: mellow
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I hope you complete the story, as to what Fidepaz is doing for this problem. And keep us informed how he is doing.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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BAJA.DESERT.RAT
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Location: BAJA SUR
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Hola, sorry to hear the bad and dangerous treatment your husband received and i hope he is doing well and recovers quickly.
would Salvatierra be the " purple " hospital i have heard of. friends in los barriles have told me that the purple hospital is the only one for
gringos to go to in la paz.
i hope it's not !
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT
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longlegsinlapaz
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Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
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OMG!! I hope they've figured out the cause & got the bleeding stopped!
I don't know who recommended Salvatierra's ER, but hopefully next time you'll to straight to Fidepaz!
If there is anything I can do, give me a call or e-mail!
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Bajahowodd
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Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Unfortunately, improperly calibrated equipment and wrong diagnoses are found in hospitals all over the world. There was recently an article in the LA
Times noting a number of hospitals in California were fined for such violations. Just last year Cedars Sinai was found to have been grossly
overexposing patients to radiation because of a failure to monitor equipment settings. There are organizations that survey this type of information
and regularly publish lists of the best facilities to consider. I am not so sure that any such program exists in Mexico. Nor do I know if there is any
government oversight of the kind. What you appear to have described may be a hemorrhagic stroke. It is the less common form of stroke. In fact, it is
not uncommon for EMT personnel to do exactly what happened in your husband's case, and treat the more common form with blood-thinning medication. I'm
with comitan with curiosity as to what Fidepaz may have done differently. Sometimes, it just boils down to who the doctor is on duty, and how familiar
they may be with certain symptoms and conditions.
In any event, I sincerely hope your husband recovers fully, and without incident.
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arrowhead
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| Quote: | Originally posted by longlegsinlapaz
OMG!! I hope they've figured out the cause & got the bleeding stopped!
I don't know who recommended Salvatierra's ER, but hopefully next time you'll to straight to Fidepaz! |
| Quote: | Originally posted by longlegsinlapaz 10-1-2008
I'm not a vet & too young for Medicare. Why so many seem to feel the necessity to travel to the US for medical is beyond me! There is very good
medical here. You may have to search around a little to find a doctor you like, but the medical care here is better than in the US in many ways
because they don't have the latest in equipment & diagnostic tools, which means they have to use one of the oldest tools know to man....their
BRAIN. Here, doctors actually spend time with you & talk with you to get information & symptoms to actually diagnose, rather than run you
through on a conveyor belt, handing out slips to go here for this test & then go there for that test. |
It's time to stop pimping the Mexican medical system to naive gringos. It is not even close to the quality standards found in the US. Nobody with an
IQ above room temperature goes to Mexico for better medical treatment. I'll bet you won't find one single Mexican with emergency EMS evacuation
insurance to take them out of the US and back to Mexico in case of an emergency. Just deal with the realities for a change.
[Edited on 2-16-2010 by arrowhead]
No soy por ni contra apatía.
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gnukid
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Arrowhead, your lack of empathy and consideration to the patient who is suffering epitomizes the failure of the American medical system. Furthermore,
your ignorance of the facts combined with prejudice is well evident. US hospitals suffer greatly from errors and also epidemics of contagious drug
resistant infections such as staff infections are an epidemic risk. Anyone heading into any hospital is at risk of increased complications due to
hospital related errors especially in the USA.
In fact, in America one of the leading causes of death is in-hospital medical errors making USA hospital errors the leading common cause of death in
the USA.
Here are links that back up the severity of the problem:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?news...
http://www.hospitalinfection.org/essentialfacts.shtml
http://pajamasmedia.com/phyllischesler/2008/11/13/death-by-h...
The Salvatierra and Fidepaz hospitals are known to be compassionate, affordable and generally provide excellent care. I have had many friends who have
required care and Salvatierra was excellent, though it should be clear that each patient must be aware of the chance for errors.
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bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
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Mood: Want to fish!!!
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I hope your husband is fine RTB. Sounds like there is a need for competent doctors in BCS. Hope to bring Dr./Mrs. Bajabass down soon. Again, I hope
all ends well!
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roamingthroughbaja
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Location: La Paz, BCS
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In Fidepaz, which is the purple hospital, they gave him a series of tests, blood, urine, neck Xray and cat scan. The cat scan is how they discovered
the bleeding. He has since had an angiogram at the oncology clinic...the dirtiest place I have seen in a long time. He had a bad reaction to the
contrast media, but a good result from the test. They think there is a 90% chance that the bleeding was due to vascular spasm, leaving a 10% chance
that an aneurism shrank under the medication they were giving him. Right now is he still suffering from the effects of the dye (contrast media). In
3 weeks or so we will have to travel to Guadalajara for an MRangiogram as they do not have the equipment in La Paz.
To comment on Salvatierra, the emergency room doctor was necking with one of the nurses, had faulty equipment, didn't take any kind of history, and
when I disagreed with the diagnosis of acid indigestion, just gave me a blank look. The doctor at Fidepaz said that extreme pain in the head plus
vomiting are clear symtoms of aneurism.
We had a few bad moments in Fidepaz, too. Like the night that he was in intensive care and supposed to be monitored 24 hours a day, but all the
nursing staff were doing each others hair at the front desk. I was taking a break talking to a doctor friend of mine. When I returned to his room,
every alarm and light had been flashing for 20 minutes, without attention from the staff. Very hard on his blood pressure and no way to help himself.
After that, I never left the room for more than 10 minutes unless a friend was with him.
Yes, I agree, you can get lucky here. I know that he might have been waiting for 10-12 hours in an emergency room in Canada before receiving
assistance, and there are lots of bad stories about the Canadian health care system. My point is that Salvatierra is not a good choice in an
emergency. My advice is to go straight to Fidepaz, don't leave your spouse alone for very long, check and double check everything, sleep in the room.
Get family there to help so you don't end up sick (like I am). There is good care down here but you have to be involved.
This sounds like a pretty strong rant for me, but I would hate anyone to make a mistake like I did. I'll be back to being nice soon, I promise.
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bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
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Mood: Want to fish!!!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by gnukid
Arrowhead, your lack of empathy and consideration to the patient who is suffering epitomizes the failure of the American medical system. Furthermore,
your ignorance of the facts combined with prejudice is well evident. US hospitals suffer greatly from errors and also epidemics of contagious drug
resistant infections such as staff infections are an epidemic risk. Anyone heading into any hospital is at risk of increased complications due to
hospital related errors especially in the USA.
In fact, in America one of the leading causes of death is in-hospital medical errors making USA hospital errors the leading common cause of death in
the USA.
Here are links that back up the severity of the problem:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?news...
http://www.hospitalinfection.org/essentialfacts.shtml
http://pajamasmedia.com/phyllischesler/2008/11/13/death-by-h...
The Salvatierra and Fidepaz hospitals are known to be compassionate, affordable and generally provide excellent care. I have had many friends who have
required care and Salvatierra was excellent, though it should be clear that each patient must be aware of the chance for errors.
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Right you are kid! Many people come out of the hospital sicker than when they entered. I am married to a
Mexican doctora and my mother was a nurse for 40 years. Her position as the infectious control specialist was to identify and eradicate these horrible
infections that spread in hospitals. In her words, "a thankless full time job". I love a doctor and a nurse, but in my opinion, hospitals are full of
sick people, so I stay away. I have spent 3 nights in 51 years of life in the hospital, 3 too many in my book!! Get fixed, get out, before you end up
even more sick.
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wessongroup
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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My last four "experiences" with the American Hospitals almost killed me every time.. its a story I don't wish to go over again.. let's just say, if
you must go in... have someone with you like this poor lady.. you need all the help you can get... if it were not for my wife I would be dead...
I hope he is OK... take care.. hang in there.. it will be OK with your help, I know it...
Wiley
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arrowhead
Banned
Posts: 912
Registered: 5-5-2009
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| Quote: | Originally posted by gnukid
Arrowhead, your lack of empathy and consideration to the patient who is suffering epitomizes the failure of the American medical system. Furthermore,
your ignorance of the facts combined with prejudice is well evident. US hospitals suffer greatly from errors and also epidemics of contagious drug
resistant infections such as staff infections are an epidemic risk. |
Actually, Paul, I have considerable empathy, compassion and consideration for the patient. That is why I am so adamant that you Mexico sycophants not
exaggerate the quality of medical care in Mexico and sucker more people into thinking it is better.
As for your analysis, if you asked me what the score was in the Superbowl game and I told you the score as "10", would you be happy with that?
Wouldn't you want to know the score for BOTH teams?
World Health Care rankings:
US - 37
Mexico - 61
US Medical training:
4 years of college
4 years of med school, pass national boards Part 1
1 year of internship, pass national boards Part 2
3-7 years of residency
Mexican Medical training
4 years of med school out of high school
1 year internship/social service
pass medical exam
Like I said, just deal with the realities. Just because you hate the US, does not mean you get to exagerate about the quality of medical care in
Mexico.
No soy por ni contra apatía.
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arrowhead
Banned
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Registered: 5-5-2009
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajabass
Right you are kid! Many people come out of the hospital sicker than when they entered. |
Wow! Really? Would that be because only sick people go INTO hospitals? Here's an even bigger news flash for you: Nobody buried in a cemetary ever
comes out alive.
Just for curiosity, to you happen to know how many people come out of Hussong's drunker than when they went in?
No soy por ni contra apatía.
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Very cute, arrowhead. But the fact remains that there are myriad expats in Mexico. If they are in major cities, such as La Paz, and suffer an
emergency, they are probably much better off seeking local treatment than trying to arrange med-evac. Yet given the track record of US hospitals, one
must wonder if that's any better. That said, people with debilitating chronic issues really need to think twice about living in a foreign country.
That is, unless you have already resolved that you wish to have your ashes scattered on the Sea of Cortez.
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roamingthroughbaja
Nomad
Posts: 143
Registered: 11-16-2007
Location: La Paz, BCS
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Well, we have all thought about what would happen if something bad happened. When Fidepaz Hospital told me I had breast cancer, I zoomed back to
Canada as soon as I could get a flight. (I didn't have cancer.) However, you can't put someone with an aneurism on an airplane. You just have to do
the best you can with what there is. My point was, and is, don't go to Salvatierra. Fidepaz is the best bet in La Paz even though they also screw
things up at times.
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k-rico
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Posts: 2079
Registered: 7-10-2008
Location: Playas de Tijuana
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Hospitals in Mexico? They range from horrible to great. Hospitals in the US, they range from OK in most cases to great.
Definitely riskier in Mexico unless you understand there are many very sub-standard places and know how to avoid them, and also know how to get to the
quality places.
That's my cut on the situation.
BTW, that also applies to restaurants, mechanics, and most other businesses.
[Edited on 2-17-2010 by k-rico]
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gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4411
Registered: 7-2-2006
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| Quote: | Originally posted by arrowhead
Like I said, just deal with the realities. Just because you hate the US, does not mean you get to exagerate about the quality of medical care in
Mexico. |
I wish the patient the best and a speedy recovery.
Arrowhead, your bias and denial of the facts illustrates the fault with your logic in bashing Mexico versus the US. Your "we are better" argument has
no real scientific merit, your fearmongering is entirely a prejudice and it's a shallow prejudice which is of the offensive kind, in particular in
this case in light of someone's suffering. Your intent is to fear monger for no purpose other than that to fear monger based on falsehoods which is
evident by your pattern of posts which are not only consistently negative but blatantly false.
Interesting that your bias outweighs the documented evidence that US hospitals errors are the leading common cause of death in the US and that the US
suffers greatly from antibiotic resistant infections, in particular MRSA or methicillin-resistant staph, which has been documented to be increasingly
a US specific malady. I know because I have lost many friends to MRSA which was caused only by visiting a US hospital for an otherwise healthy person.
Moreover, at more than 195,000 deaths a year from US hospital error in addition to MRSA deaths as 13,000/yr, the US hospitals are in fact a danger
unto themselves, the leading common cause of death in the USA.
In the USA you are more likely to die from catching a resistant infection like MRSA in a USA hospital than from AIDS: Arrowhead your prejudice against
Mexico deludes you.
Your myopic view of Mexico has no merit, neither as anecdote nor based on science, in this case, as in most of your posts, your myopia is pure
vitriolic nonsense.
MRSA
http://www.slate.com/id/2152118/
In response to your comments about Mexico hospitals, having traveled around the world and visited many hospitals where tourists visited for accidents
and illness from moped accidents to viral infections, Mexico health-care employes a method where doctors ask questions, listen, proceed carefully with
attention to many factors which affect patients.
The scenario noted here was equipment failure, this could and does happen anywhere and everywhere and was discovered in the process.
I have another story, a cancer patient was visiting here on his last legs to enjoy a few more moments of serenity, finally his US doctors insisted he
get blood tests and fax them, a visit to a local La Paz lab realized the complete results at a cost of 200 pesos which would have run US$2000 at home.
The care we receive in Baja is kind, compassionate, sophisticated and beneficial, unlike the US which is impersonal, focused on drug solutions,
dangerous and outrageously costly to the point of being ineffectual.
US doctors receive very little nutritional training which is the leading cause of illness, while promoting medicine as leading solution which it often
is not.
http://caloriecount.about.com/doctors-nutrition-know-trainin...
http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/27/1/59
I cited evidence of an increased risk in US hospitals which you avoided. You are a blatant anti-Mexico propagandist who adds nothing here and
obfuscates with a myopic view of the facts which is of no help, neither newsworthy nor bearing common sense.
As we move forward in this new century, we require both evidence of scientific fact and a sense of scientific objectivity, chance of uncertainty and
certainly the normal likelihood of errors.
Your lack of ability to discern fact from fiction has marginalized your posts to hyperbole to be readily dismissed. Your posts, often accompanied by
veiled threats, ad hominem attacks, and avoidance of common sense are of no value here though you would be welcome on Glenn Beck's forums or perhaps
shills like other fear mongering talking heads.
Realistically comparing US to Mexican hospitals we can see there are serious failures of the US system whose technological benefits can help a few
seriously ill patients but generally the lack of basic common sense, personal interaction, availability and affordability makes Mexico's hospitals a
surprisingly wonderful option over the best US hospitals which are documented to be highly risky, costly and ineffectual for most people.
Most of us here have no interest in convincing you, if you want to review the healthcare benefits of Mexico versus US realistically you can do that on
your own, however your negative bias is not based in either fact nor practical use.
http://news.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&am...
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/hospital_errors.html
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/deadbymistake/6555095.ht...
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20071...
My home hospital is Stanford Hospital which is considered one of the best in the USA though I prefer doctors in La Paz. I might also note that there
exists special clinics in the USA, often in basements of hospitals like Stanford, which are open to anyone at no cost called Rotoclinics offering
affordable care to Mexicans among others. These are excellent and employ the same consideration as Mexican hospitals' method of asking about your
overall health while considering the diagnosis.
[Edited on 2-17-2010 by gnukid]
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roamingthroughbaja
Nomad
Posts: 143
Registered: 11-16-2007
Location: La Paz, BCS
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Well, gnukid, I don't disagree with you. Except that the failure was not with the equipment but with the emergency doctor. Yes, the BP cuff was not
working, and no one had realized it until I pointed out that it was not logical that everyone who had come into emergency that night had high blood
pressure, but that is not where the diagnosis of acid indigestion came from. That is not where the perscription for aspirin came from, or the aspirin
based shot for the pain. The doctor was an idiot! To keep this thread on topic: please, if you have an emergency, don't go to Salvatierra.
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