Calling a consult
Formal Definition
Formally requesting another specialty to evaluate your patient and provide recommendations.
How It's Used on the Ward
"Call a cards consult" = request cardiology to see the patient.
Example
""Hi, this is the medicine team calling to request a GI consult for Mrs. Smith in 508. She's a 72-year-old with melena and a hemoglobin drop from 12 to 8. We're concerned about an upper GI bleed.""
Clinical Context
Consult calls have an unspoken format: who you are, who the patient is, what the question is, what you've done so far, and what you need. Bad consult calls waste everyone's time.
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