Description of Event or Problem · 1
IT WAS INITIALLY REPORTED BY A VNS PATIENT'S MOTHER THAT THE PT WAS EXPERIENCING "A LOT OF SEVERE GI ISSUES." THE MOTHER CLARIFIED BY SAYING SHE FIRST SOUGHT HELP FOR THE ISSUES IN (B)(6) 2010, BUT THE PT HAD TO HAVE HIS GALL BLADDER REMOVED IN (B)(6) 2010 DUE TO GALL STONES. THE PT HAD NOW RECENTLY DEVELOPED "SEVERE ESOPHAGEAL EROSION", A HIATAL HERNIA, AND SEVERE REFLUX. ACCORDING TO THE MOTHER'S REPORT, THE ESOPHAGEAL EROSION WAS SEVERE ENOUGH THAT A FOOD BOLUS WAS LODGED IN THE ERODED CAVITY IN THE PATIENT'S THROAT. THE MOTHER DID REPORT THAT SHE WAS PLEASED WITH THE SEIZURE CONTROL FROM THE VNS, BUT SHE WAS WORRIED THE VNS MAY BE CAUSING THE GI EVENTS. FOLLOW-UP WITH THE PATIENT'S GASTROENTEROLOGIST WAS OBTAINED. HOWEVER, THE PT HAD ONLY BEEN SEEN AT THE SITE TWICE. THE PT HAD BEEN REFERRED TO THE SITE BECAUSE OF NAUSEA, VOMITING, AND ABDOMINAL PAIN AFTER HIS GALL BLADDER SURGERY. THE NAUSEA AND VOMITING WERE LIKELY RELATED TO THE PATIENT'S SURGERY, AND NOTES FROM THE PATIENT'S NEUROLOGIST INDICATED THAT THE PAIN COULD NOT BE CAUSED BY VNS. THE GASTROENTEROLOGIST HAD PERFORMED A CT SCAN ON THE PT IN (B)(6) 2011, WHICH SHOWED A THICKENING OF THE BLADDER WALL, BUT THIS WAS NOT ATTRIBUTED TO VNS. THE GASTROENTEROLOGIST'S OFFICE STATED THAT THE ISSUES OF THE PATIENT'S REFLUX, GALL BLADDER, HERNIA AND EROSION COULD NOT BE ANSWERED BY THEM, BUT THE PATIENT'S FAMILY PRACTITIONER WHO HAD REFERRED THE PT TO THEM MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE INFO. GOOD FAITH ATTEMPTS MADE TO THE PATIENT'S FAMILY PRACTITIONER TO DATE FOR MORE INFO ON THE PATIENT'S REFLUX, GALL STONES, HERNIA, AND ESOPHAGEAL EROSION HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL.