Physician as patient. The example of coronary angioplasty.
The outcome and behavior of 43 consecutive physicians undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty were compared to those of 43 control patients (non-physicians) matched for sex, arteries attempted, and time of intervention. As for baseline characteristics, the groups were similar but fewer physicians smoked or took beta-blockers and fewer control patients took calcium-blockers. The immediate outcome of both groups showed no significant differences. The in-hospital management was not different either except that physicians complained more often about pain than control patients. Complaints about care or complaints of the nursing personnel about patients were found with equal frequency in both groups. The saying that "physicians are the worst patients" could not be substantiated in the example of coronary angioplasty, yet neither were their care and outcome superior to those of control patients.
D000328:Adult; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies