A former US surgeon general says he went to the ER for dehydration and ended up with a $5,000 bill. He called the healthcare system 'broken.'

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A former US surgeon general says he went to the ER for dehydration and ended up with a $5,000 bill. He called the healthcare system 'broken.'
businessinsider.com
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If he thinks five grand is a big hospital bill, he's not living in the real world.

5 grand for something that can be fixed by quite literally buying salt and distilled water (obviously give or take a month, but that doesn't matter). Idk where you live but that shit is cheap where I am.

It's not that 5 grand is a big bill. It's that they're charging 5 grand for salt water.

Don't go to the ER for dehydration. If it's really that bad, find an IV lounge that can just give you an IV bag with some vitamins and maybe some meds.

It's like $150-$200, which I know is still expensive, but you don't need insurance and it's a quick in-and-out.

When that dehydrated, injecting liquids is way more effective than drinking them.

I highly doubt he just felt a little parched and decided to go to the ER. I also wouldn't suggest to others to diagnose themselves as dehydrated and go to an IV clinic (unless they perform medical check-ups from licensed physicians as well).

In an interview Monday with Business Insider, Adams said he went to the ER in Scottsdale, Arizona, in January after he became lightheaded while hiking on a work trip.

From his wiki he looks like a fit military figure who's probably not had the many health complications (is also still in his 40's). As a doctor himself and probably his colleagues around him (work trip), I imagine the recommendation is to get checked-up asap. It's also kind of ironic you're calling out the former Surgeon General and a licensed doctor while giving alternative medical advice lol.

It's not even alternative medical advice though. You go to the ER for dehydration and they're going to give you an IV of fluids and vitamins. I know because I've done it several times.

Whatever the Surgeon General's issue was, I'm sure he knew what was best for him and of course go to the ER if you're that bad.

But I've personally been in situations where an ER visit would have been warranted. I'm not talking just parched, it's when I've been frequently vomiting for 18 hours every 20 minutes and severely dehydrated because of my migraines. But instead of needing the ER, it took 10 minutes to get an IV at an IV lounge that took care of it for far cheaper and quicker. And then I'm not taking up a bed from someone who could use it more.

There's nothing wrong with getting IVs because the people administering them are trained nurses. It's not "alternative medicine" because it's literally what the ER gives you.

lol sorry, I didn't mean "alternative medicine". I was referring to alternative (noun 1. One of a number of possible choices or courses of action) medical advice. Though, I haven't looked into the claims the IV clinics make which might skew towards the "alternative medicine" side (ducked it, FTC has been going after a lot of them for false advertising). But, we're talking strictly dehydration so that's moot.

I am glad that the clinics worked out for you and sympathize as well coming from a family with a history of migraines. If you have a diagnosed medical history with a common side effect and you personally decide to go treatment first without further investigation that is your personal choice (again, I have no clue what the intake is like at one of these clinics i.e. blood pressure, heart rate, etc). You are self-diagnosing though regardless in this instance, same as anyone taking some otc medicine for pain (which can be fatal like a gallbladder or mundane like some bloating). This seems like a case of a sudden-onset of symptoms which he hadn't experienced before, which can happen as someone gets older. I took offense to your comment as the dehydration diagnosis didn't come till after his visit, so "knowing" beforehand is a gamble in this situation and one I wouldn't lightly pass onto others as good medical advice.

This is the worst advice anyone has ever given.

Are IV lounges something anyone can just walk in and do?

Yeah, it's actually kinda wild because the first time I went in, something about it felt illegal. But nope, they're perfectly fine and a great way to treat dehydration, hangovers, migraines, general pain, nausea, etc. Anyone can walk in and use them.

They've personally saved me several times when my migraines have gotten to their 10/10 point because the meds hit so much more effectively through IV than orally.

I've been considering starting a vitamin regiment and, after doing a little research based on the information you've given me, this seems perfect. How often do you go in?

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I'm living in the real world, most I've ever had to pay was parking and I guess a few bucks for meds. I remember how $100 for meds a fe years ago made me cringe.

But I also live in a first world country, with first world problems.

Two years ago my dad had a cardiac arrest.

Resuscitation, ambulance ride, four stents, nearly a week in a coma in intensive care, another week recovering. No charge at all. Due to Covid and them not really want everyone putting their germy hospital hands on the ticket machines, even the parking was free.

All I paid was a few quid for a bottle of water and some biscuits from the hospital shop.

Now there are issues with the NHS, in that anything non-urgent can take a very long time and might not get resolved at all, and it being chronically understaffed to the point of negligence (which is intentional sabotage by our government) but for emergencies, it's amazing.

That sounds so... wonderful. The patient and family get to focus on health and feel like they belong to a society that values their wellbeing? 🤩

Well I wouldn't go that far. I do live in the UK after all.

But it's nice to not be bankrupt, so there's that.

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