Doctor? Why?

At my day job last week, chatting to – sorry, exchanging information with a colleague – and another member of staff came in the room. It doubles as an office and mess room.

This bloke made a cup of tea, sat down and took a bite of his sandwich. The next thing, he’s half rising and obviously cannot breathe. There are some muffled cough-type noises coming from him.

He’d obviously choked on his sarnie. The training kicked in and I immediately bent him over a table and gave him some sound slaps to his back. I repeated this when the first slaps didn’t seem to do anything.

Neither did the second set, so I was positioning myself to give the Heimlich manouvre. Just before I pulled, I noticed a change in breathing – my patient appeared to be getting some air, even though it was whistling a bit. I delayed the Heimlich and waited until I saw what was happening.

My patient sat down and his breathing continued to improve. Eventually he could talk.

“I wasn’t choking. Sometimes my throat just seems to close up.”

I asked him to repeat that, and he did. “This is the first time it’s happened at work.” It seems that, over the last six months, he’s been having these episodes every three weeks or so! His throat goes into spasm and he can’t breathe for about 60-90 seconds.

I asked if he’d seen a doctor about it. Of course he hadn’t!

“Well, this time you damn well will. We’re going to get you checked out now, and you MUST see your own doctor too. You often work alone for a couple of hours and you’re not safe if this is likely to happen.” I know that he could be anywhere in the building, including on ladders.

He went to A&E but was back before long. I don’t know what bullshine he gave them, but I bet he didn’t tell the truth.

I’m not at that site again until Tuesday, but he then gets the third degree on when he saw/is seeing his GP, and what the doc says.

“Errr, I can’t breathe at times, but it’s not worth bothering my doctor.” Should I also suggest psychiatric evaluation?