Mark Green's Medical Behavior

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Mark Green may have be recovering from neuro-surgery, have aphasia and is generally being unpleasant... BUT isn't he saying things that lots of doctors truly want to say?

Antibiotics don't help with viral infections, there is no point in transporting a dead person, and an addict would do better with a clean needle.

I actually found myself kind of cheering for Dr. Green (and perhaps so was my family doctor... who won't prescribe stuff unless we REALLY need it).

-- Chris (LansdaalFamily@home.com), February 13, 2001

Answers

Yes - I agree. But I think what people are ruminating about is that he seems to have lost that part of him that cares too much. Before his surgery he would have taken the time to explain why not antibiotics or maybe steered the patient in another direction to think that they were getting TLC. Now he just gives them a big fat NO and pops their butt out the door. My father survived a serious head injury when, at the age of 64!) he flew off his bike and plowed his head into the curb. The skull fractures and brain contusions on the front of his head seems to have changed his personality. It took him several days to even know who I was. Since then his tolerance for the grandkids has gone 180 degrees and has less patience with everything in general (especially my mother -OK I'll give him that one. So do I). So Mark's personality change is probably due to some brain thing (how's that for medical term.?) resulting from his tumor, surgery or radiation.

-- Sharon (redfield@netsync.net), February 13, 2001.

I don't think it was much what he said but the way he it. Cleo wasn't pushy regarding the flu-ridden older woman (also note she didn't throw in any sermonizing about how minorities are treated unfairly in regards to treatment), she even told Mark that she tried to explain to the woman that antibiotics weren't going to be prescribed for her flu symptoms, but Cleo was appalled at the way Mark handled the people in the waiting room.

Same thing with Kerry and the deceased heart patient. By her inaction while Mark was on the phone with the paramedics and immediately after, she showed that she agreed with him, but once the patient arrived she knew she had to go through the motions even if it wasn't going to make a darn bit of difference. Again, Kerry was appalled at Mark's lax attitude towards the family's wishes.

-- AmyE (roamyn@aol.com), February 13, 2001.


I think Mark's brain surgery and treatment have contributed to his poor attitude. However, I don't think it is the only think. Mark has shown in the past to act like a jerk and take things out on his patients or other people when things don't go his way. Mark Greene was awful to Jeanie Boulet right after Susan departed and illegally went into her medical files to see if she was HIV postive. He treated her awful for a couple of espisodes. After Mark getting beat up , he started treating people and patients erratically and awful for about 6-9 months. He was very indifferent to his patients treatment and rude to his patients at times. Mark got away with several cases of malpractice he committed during this stage. I remember about six patients Mark treated during season four came back to the hospital in serious condition because Mark misdiagnosed them, ignored their symptoms. I think Mark's brain surgery/treatment is making things worse,and enhancing Mark's propensity to act up and show disregard to patients/people in the first place at times after bad events in his life.

-- brenda (jckwfan@aol.com), February 13, 2001.

Personally I don't think that Mark's behavior is that out of line. In fact, I wish more doctors would be more blunt and stop dancing around the issue (however, Mark could use a little more tact). The guy with the heart condition (who was obese and a smoker) has probably been told in a nice way that he needed to lose weight, but now he has been given the cold hard facts that the way he is living could kill him he might actually do something about it.

-- Emma (webbef@hotmail.com), February 14, 2001.

Preface: I am not a doctor (nor do I play one on TV). That said, it *is* possible that someone's personality can change as a result of brain trauma. I've seen it happen in stroke victims, and I've read about it in Psych journals. Any of the folks in medical commentary want to tackle this?

-- Gena (wahine_95060@yahoo.com), February 14, 2001.


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