CNN: "Are you an obnoxious patient?"

Dr. David Golden, an allergist in Baltimore, Maryland, describes why he had to fire a patient for being "obnoxious":

"The patient had a cough. After examining him, Golden recommended a medication. But then the patient did his own research and became worried about side effects.

"He said, 'But I read about this on the Internet, and I know this and I know that, and I know I'm right,' " remembered Golden,

Golden says he tried to explain why the side effects weren't as bad as the patient thought, and why the medicine would take care of his cough. "But he wasn't open to discussing anything. He countermanded everything I said. So I told him, 'You know it all, so go take care of yourself. I'm not your doctor anymore.' "

Read more in Are you an obnoxious patient? CNN.



Differential diagnosis of cough, a simple mnemonic is GREAT BAD CAT TOM. Click here to enlarge the image: (GERD (reflux), Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR), Rhinitis (both allergic and non-allergic) with post-nasal drip (upper airway cough syndrome), Embolism, e.g. PE in adults, Asthma, TB (tuberculosis), Bronchitis, pneumonia, pertussis, Aspiration, e.g foreign body in children, Drugs, e.g. ACE inhibitor, CF in children, Cardiogenic, e.g. mitral stenosis in adults, Achalasia in adults, Thyroid enlargement, e.g. goiter, "Thoughts" (psychogenic), Other causes, Malignancy, e.g. lung cancer in adults).