Arrrrgh! Have you read reports of jail inmates dying of dehydration while in custody?
From the looks of it, a new patient I visited with just now may have been subjected to such treatment while she was in our local county jail.
She was taking a shower in our hygiene center when we heard a moan, and a thud on the floor. My assistant (a woman) ran in to see if she was all right, and found her curled up on the floor, evidently having an anxiety attack. My MA got her covered with a towel, and I came in and did a quick assessment. She was pretty badly dehydrated (heart-rate was off the charts). When she was able to talk, she told me the infirmary at the jail diagnosed her with strep throat, but neglected to treat her.
My team got her cleaned up and dried off, then put her in an exam room. I did a full evaluation including for strep, and prescribed the appropriate treatment. The patient told me that the staff at the jail had cranked the heat in the cellblock and then denied her any form of hydration for a couple of days.
A colleague of mine works down at the jail. I'm going to ask him tomorrow what the hell is going on down there...
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