Analysis Of The Book “Complications; A Surgeon’s Notes On An Imperfect Science” By Atul Gawande: Mistakes In Medicine

Medical books are a great way to gain a fresh perspective on the complicated world of medicine. Only a select few people choose to explore it due to the long hours spent serving the community while ignoring their own needs. Atul gawande was brave enough to speak out about mistakes made in medicine. Atul Gauwande published Complications in 2002. Gawande’s book discusses the inevitable problems that doctors encounter, or in some controversial situations, the reasons for those difficulties. The book is a collection of Gawande’s mistakes and those of his colleagues. The book contains many flaws. I’ll only mention two. First up, the Rumination Syndrome. Gawande describes a pregnant lady who suffered from severe nausea despite being past her first trimester. In addition to describing the possible causes of the woman’s nausea, Gawande recalled the story of a classmate from his childhood who could vomit on command without feeling sick. This was the inspiration for our Rumination topic. The food tastes exactly the same and is undigested when Rumination occurs. Rumination is a daily occurrence that occurs regardless of the food consumed. Rumination is a body reflex and not a conscious choice. Doctors don’t know why Rumination occurs, but it rarely causes physical harm and can only cause esophageal problems. Rumination has also been linked with anxiety, depression (UpToDate 2018,) and post-traumatic distress disorder. It’s a common misconception that chronic pain results from a muscle or bone problem. This is a logical and accepted assumption. Atul cited two cases in his book. Rowland Scott Quinlan suffered from severe pain in his back. Gawande was perplexed by the fact that no one could explain why Rowland Scott Quinlan suffered from severe back pain. Atul was led to believe that Rowland’s suffering was “mental”. Numerous studies have shown that chronic pain patients are more likely than others to experience mood disorders. Atul Gawade wrote an article about the Australian epidemic of pain that occurred in the 1980s. Workers, specifically keyboard operators, experienced sudden arm pain. Later, doctors would call this epidemic RSI (repetition strain injuries). Physicians were baffled by the fact that workers complained of pain despite no signs of broken bones or muscle strain. The epidemic ended in 1987. Strangely, when workers received disability payments and diagnostic labels, the epidemic continued. However, once these benefits were taken away, and the pain of the workers was no longer validated, the epidemic ended. The workers weren’t faking the pain, but doctors didn’t know the cause of it.

Melzack said that pain is real whether it comes from a physical injury or not. Atul felt that this theory was the oddest of them all, as it made the issue of pain political. Complications, in conclusion, proves that medicine is built on mistakes, and doctors can only learn this way, even though it is morbid. In both cases, we can see that doctors, although they are regarded as “godly”, are flawed people. I stated in the first case that Rumination still has no known cause despite medicine’s progress. Mental pain is still a mystery to doctors, and many don’t acknowledge it. You must realize that physicians make mistakes. As humans, they are bound to make them.