Discharge instructions should reflect urgency of return:
CP/SOB/syncope: Follow-up with your family doctor/usual walk-in clinic. Return to hospital immediately if you have severe chest pain, especially if consistently worse with exertion, fainting or feeling persistently faint, or severe shortness of breath. Return if palpitations that don't stop after 30 minutes. No driving if having these symptoms.
Pain: Return to hospital immediately if you have severe pain, fever of 38 degrees, refractory vomiting. The best way to tackle pain is using multiple medications together regularly for a few days. It is safe to use Tylenol every 4 hours while awake, and add Advil every 6-8 hours. It is safe to use together at the max doses on the bottle. If taking Advil for more than 5 days, ask a pharmacist for an over-the-counter antacid pill like Omeprazole, Esomeprazole or Ranitidine. The Dilaudid medication is used as needed if pain despite that; no driving or important decisions while on Dilaudid.
Fever:
Follow-up with your family doctor/usual walk-in clinic. Seek a doctor immediately if you have
-confusion, numbness, weakness, lethargy (difficult to wake up), difficulty walking, speech problem, loss of vision or persistent vision problem.
-abdominal pain despite Tylenol/Advil, especially if in the right lower or upper side.
-back pain
-new rash
Neuro: Follow-up with your family doctor/usual walk-in clinic. Return to hospital immediately if you have fever, confusion, numbness, weakness, lethargy (difficult to wake up), difficulty walking, speech problem, or persistent vision problem. No driving if feeling unwell.
Back pain: Follow-up with your family doctor/usual walk-in clinic. Return to hospital immediately if you have fever, accidents or inability to go pee/poop, numbness in the leg or groin, weakness, inability to walk.
Anaphylaxis: Keep 2 epipens with you at all times. If you have lip/tongue swelling, painful or difficulty swallowing/speaking, shortness of breath/wheeze, feeling very faint use your Epipen and return to hospital immediately. If not improving after 15 minutes, use the 2nd Epipen while on the way to the hospital. Vomiting/diarrhea AND rash should prompt a return to hospital immediately. If you just have a rash OR vomiting/diarrhea, you can take Reactine(Cetirizine), or Benadryl(can be drowsy). Follow-up with your family doctor or allergist.
Post-sedation: Do not drive or make any key decisions for 24h. Rarely, some patients have nausea or vomiting but this is usually limited to 1-2 episodes. Can try Gravol, drink small sips frequently. Return immediately if increasing pain, concern about dehydration, severe vomiting that doesn't stop.
Cast: Return to hospital immediately if you have weakness, loss of sensation, or severe pain. Keep elevated above the level of your heart when possible. Feeling pain due to tight cast or increasing swelling despite elevation should prompt a return to hospital within 24-48h.