The Case of a 57-year-old Man with Heart Fluttering and Lightheadedness

What happens when our patient so badly wants to be well that they talk us out of the correct diagnosis?
“I think it is my anxiety” was the mantra accepted by the physician in this case.

Though diagnoses are not always clear after the initial encounter, they are not up for negotiation. Patients have a vested interest, due to denial or human nature, in believing that nothing is seriously wrong with them. It can be tempting to accept the theory that is put in front of us, especially when the chief complaint is common and nonspecific; for example, “I am lightheaded and my heart is beating fast.”