

Lost in interpretation: 16 minutes could save you a lifetime.
Your patient is a 44 year-old Hispanic man presenting to the emergency department because of anal pain. He reports that he has had anal pain for over one week and was seen in an emergency department several days ago where he was given some medication to help decrease the pain, but the meds have not seemed to help. On physical examination he has one large nonthrombosed external hemorrhoid. On further questioning you find that he has been taking his steroid suppositories... but