Provider's viewpoint To the editor: I wish to comment on the Consumer Viewpoint "Is inconvenience to the patient really necessary?" by Paul Sparkes (Can Med AsSoc J 112: 227. 1975). We note the discrimination in printing the name of this hospital when no other names of individuals or institutions are mentioned, and we deny the allegations made by the anonymous parent that this hospital has a lackadaisical attitude. In the matter of the waiting time and circumstances described by the parent, I can say that it is not our practice to put children in rooms and leave them there alone for any period, much less the period mentioned. It is conceivable, however, that the child was left with the mother in the room. in any hospital or institution providing large-volume service, priorities of attention and treatment have to be established in order to sort out the more urgent and emergency cases from casual walk-ins who perhaps should have seen their own family physician in the first place. Anyone familiar with the situation will realize that it is economically prohibitive and practically impossible to have the kind of sfaffing and facilities to cater to a small minority who may demand examinations,
blood tests and the like at a specific time and without a prior appointment. Although we cannot deny that the person in question may have had to wait, we suggest that it would have been appropriate for her to spend that waiting time with the child who was allegedly "left alone". We realize only too well the difficulty in providing exceilent service to many thousands of children and parents who visit the hospital. It has been our policy and will continue to be our policy to investigate and to rectify if possible any complaints of a specific nature that are made to us, but we cannot defend ourselves against this kind of anonymous and generalized reference. We believe the hospital should have been given an opportunity before publication of the allegations to investigate them, to determine if they were justified, and to provide a statement to be published concurrently with the allegations made. We are distressed by the fact that a reputable publication such as the Canadian Medical Association Journal, with its widespread distribution to the medical and hospital professions, should, by the very act of publication without investigation, lend credence and weight to this type of allegation. The Dr. Charles A. Janeway Child
Health Centre is the pediatric referral centre for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and has, during its 9 years of operation, provided a high standard of service to the children and parents of this province. D.EJ. KELLAND
Administrator The Dr. Charles A. Janeway Child Ucaith Centre St. John's, NfId.
Febrile reactions after methicillin To the editor: I read with interest the letter from Dr. Portnoy and his colleagues (Can Med Assoc J 112: 280, 1975) on the subject of febrile reactions after cloxacillin. This was of particular interest to me because of several patients seen on the infectious diseases consulting service at New Mount Sinai Hospital and at Toronto General Hospital who had febrile reactions after methicillin intravenous therapy. These included two orthopedic patients at New Mount Sinai Hospital. Those seen at Toronto General Hospital were on medical services as well as orthopedic. In all these patients there was a disparity between the established pattern of disease for which each was being treated and the sudden fever and rigors. The first patient, who had septic interphalangeal arthritis, received 2 g of me-
URINE EXTRACTS
introducing...
Urinalysis is not only valuable, it's essential.. .to note the quiet consequences of aging such as diabetes (shown by glycosuria); carcinoma (haematuria); or nephrosis (proteinuria). Mararo, Howard W. Urinalysis in the '70's. 1973.
*
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______
1044 CMA JOURNAL/MAY 3, 1975/VOL. 112
MULTISTIX provides the broadest chemical profile ever offered by reagent strip analysis. In one 60-second "dip and read" test, it provides seven different results from one reagent strip.
You read more body language
MULTISTIX Reagent Strips for Urinalysis
Ames Company . Division, Miles Laboratories Ltd., Rexdale, Ontario.
01975
.Trademark
blood tests and the like at a specific time and without a prior appointment. Although we cannot deny that the person in question may have had to wait, we suggest that it would have been appropriate for her to spend that waiting time with the child who was allegedly "left alone". We realize only too well the difficulty in providing exceilent service to many thousands of children and parents who visit the hospital. It has been our policy and will continue to be our policy to investigate and to rectify if possible any complaints of a specific nature that are made to us, but we cannot defend ourselves against this kind of anonymous and generalized reference. We believe the hospital should have been given an opportunity before publication of the allegations to investigate them, to determine if they were justified, and to provide a statement to be published concurrently with the allegations made. We are distressed by the fact that a reputable publication such as the Canadian Medical Association Journal, with its widespread distribution to the medical and hospital professions, should, by the very act of publication without investigation, lend credence and weight to this type of allegation. The Dr. Charles A. Janeway Child
Health Centre is the pediatric referral centre for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and has, during its 9 years of operation, provided a high standard of service to the children and parents of this province. D.EJ. KELLAND
Administrator The Dr. Charles A. Janeway Child Ucaith Centre St. John's, NfId.
Febrile reactions after methicillin To the editor: I read with interest the letter from Dr. Portnoy and his colleagues (Can Med Assoc J 112: 280, 1975) on the subject of febrile reactions after cloxacillin. This was of particular interest to me because of several patients seen on the infectious diseases consulting service at New Mount Sinai Hospital and at Toronto General Hospital who had febrile reactions after methicillin intravenous therapy. These included two orthopedic patients at New Mount Sinai Hospital. Those seen at Toronto General Hospital were on medical services as well as orthopedic. In all these patients there was a disparity between the established pattern of disease for which each was being treated and the sudden fever and rigors. The first patient, who had septic interphalangeal arthritis, received 2 g of me-
URINE EXTRACTS
introducing...
Urinalysis is not only valuable, it's essential.. .to note the quiet consequences of aging such as diabetes (shown by glycosuria); carcinoma (haematuria); or nephrosis (proteinuria). Mararo, Howard W. Urinalysis in the '70's. 1973.
*
from andym Enterpr/sss
fastest and
em earplercin pB4taIl. stead. and clasps
Allows simultaneous insertion of stud and attachment of clasp in less than 'hQotaseoond. Studs anclcleeps are madeotlmpurlty4rea gold over one.piece surqscal stainless to assure probl.rn4ree results. Supersharppolntattipofstudpermits.sy.painlesspassagethrovgh tissue and pinpoint locating. Lifatime guarantee. .writeor call us. rpflsesltcl Mew.dym
= Ootono MIR 45SThiepbc.ie4*7S9-75$O
______
1044 CMA JOURNAL/MAY 3, 1975/VOL. 112
MULTISTIX provides the broadest chemical profile ever offered by reagent strip analysis. In one 60-second "dip and read" test, it provides seven different results from one reagent strip.
You read more body language
MULTISTIX Reagent Strips for Urinalysis
Ames Company . Division, Miles Laboratories Ltd., Rexdale, Ontario.
01975
.Trademark
