Medical help needed please.

[Orionpam]

Any medics out there tell me how long it would take for dehydration to come on. My relative in private hospital for a week, perfectly fit when he went in - by chance a friend visited who had medical knowledge (surgeon) and arranged for him to be taken to the local NHS immediately, where he was extremely dehydrated. Private hospital are trying to claim A LOT of money now and I am disputing their bill - especially since the patient died - not specifically from that, more from old age, but that episode didn't help matters.

[wigginsmum]

According to Wikipedia, it can happen in 3 days (less in hot weather) and no-one survives longer than about 5-6 days without water.

[ts_aly2000]

Hi OP,

Sorry to hear about your relative, I can only imagine the anger you must feel. We see cases in the news where situations are just c'est le vie, and other ones where the medical professionals did their very best and ended up being dragged through the mud.

In my view of private healthcare, it's not always what it's cracked up to be. Almost it's get 'em in get 'em out, certainly with the 'hospital' based outfits.

If your medical friend is sure, and the NHS are willing to comment, then yes of course you can dispute it. Knowing it's a private hospital though they're just as likely to use debt collectors. About sums them up really.

Definitely dispute this, you have nothing more to lose (((((((((((hugs)))))))))). Is the money coming from you or the estate?

But to reiterate, private healthcare isn't always best. For cosmetic stuff and hypocondriac type things yes usually, but for wholly life threatening conditions the NHS truly have the upper hand. My Dad had an aneuysm in Febuary, and the NHS were amazing. We found out that UK private hospitals simply don't have the resources to cope with life threatening situations.

(((((((((hugs)))))))))

Aly xx

[jenniferpa]

If the patient was elderly, I'm assuming that there were a variety of medications involved. Some drugs for high blood pressure function as diuretics, and as such would hasten dehydration. Are you talking about a private hospital or a nursing home?

[tankgirl1]

but no matter what treatment the patient is on, in a hospital situation it would surely be easy to keep him hydrated via ivft :confused: