Increase in minor complaints?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Specializes in Emergency room, med/surg, UR/CSR.

It seems like there has been a substantial increase in the number of patients coming to the ER for complaints that I would go to my doctor for. Complaints like N/V for a day, low grade fever, lady partsl irritation to name a few.

Has anyone else noticed this in their ER? I asked some of the nurses that I work with and they said they have noticed the same thing. I wonder why that is? It's not just people with private pay or medicaid, but people with insurance too.

I know we have a lot of people come in because the called "Ask A Nurse" and were told by them to come in. :angryfire

It just seems like for some reason that no one wants to feel bad for any length of time anymore. If they don't feel good then they come to the ER to get fixed immediately so they won't have to feel bad longer than they have to. Never mind the old trick of going to bed and drinking plenty of fluids when you have a cold, come to the ER! :angryfire

Sorry this turned into a rant, but I wondered if other ERs were seeing the same.

Pam

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Minor complaints in our ER too. People don't want to wait to see a doc, then wonder why Triage is so full you have to be the ruptured AAA to be seen first. Vague history, minor c/o, "I have an appointment w/my doctor tomorrow but I'm just so miserable...with my N/V/temp of 100.9". And off they go with their d/c instructions to f/u with their PMD and return if symptoms get worse.

Where's that "Death of Common Sense" thread? :coollook:

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Just call it job security

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People don't want to take time off during the day to see the doctor. Heaven forbid a doctor's visit interrupts our regularl schedule. Besides that, my insurance has the same copay for urgent care as for ER visit. So there is nothing to dissuade some people from going to the ER. I'm just amazed at the number of people willing to wait 4 hours for a cold.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

In Illinois - we are seeing a huge increase in the uninsured and those w/o a primary care provider.

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I've wanted to commented on this... the problem could be with the PCP's office. Whenever we call and tell them what's going on (sore throat, fever, could it be strep, etc.), they usually tell us to go to the ED. We would prefer to make an appointment to see the doctor in the office. I hate waiting around in the ED, it could be up to 8 hours, why not wait at home for an appointment and keep comfortable until we can get in to see her? But no. We aren't given an appointment, we are told to go to the ED.

Maybe it was just this office and the lazy MA who just told everyone if she (the MA) couldn't handle it, it had to go to the ED. This just drove me NUTS.

My dad's MD is the same way - go to the ED. We have noticed this more and more, if the doc can't get you in within the next 24 hours, we have been told to go to the hospital. And this is really "simple" stuff. Nothing that I'd want to wait around 8 hours for just for a prescription for antibiotics (if strep).

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I know we have a lot of people come in because the called "Ask A Nurse" and were told by them to come in.

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As a telephone triage nurse, I can tell you that a lot of patients will call us and exaggerate their symptoms, so we'll send them to the ER. This way they don't have to take time out of their busy days and miss work, school, manicures, gym work out, etc.,:uhoh3:

Unfortunately, we can only go by what patients tell us is happening. We have no way to verify their symptoms unless they are seen.

For example, I had two people calling last night at 10 pm-one stating she had shortness of breath, although she could speak in full sentences and had no audible wheezing. The other person was complaining of chest pain, but had been able to go to work and do heavy physical tasks. Both patients had had their symptoms for several days and insisted they had to be seen now. The only place I could send them was the ER.

I do apologize to those of you, who work in the ER and have to deal with these patients. I know that only a small minority of patients, who call actually have emergent symptoms, but the HMO I work for insists that we give the patients the option of going to the ER, if they feel they need to be seen immediately.

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People don't want to take time off during the day to see the doctor. Heaven forbid a doctor's visit interrupts our regularl schedule. Besides that, my insurance has the same copay for urgent care as for ER visit. So there is nothing to dissuade some people from going to the ER. I'm just amazed at the number of people willing to wait 4 hours for a cold.

LOL- When patients call and insists on going to the ER for minor illnessesses or injuries, I alway warn them to take a book and snacks. They always ask, "why?". I tell them that the average waiting time in the ER for a non emergent complaint is 4-6 hrs. In addition, I remind them that the copay for most patients is $100 vs the the $15-$20 they would pay for an office visit.

Some patients decide that their "emergency" isn't really that bad, and they'll accept an appointment. Others, however, decide they don't want to miss work and will go to the ER. Usually, I'll get a call back after several hours from these same folks, who now are complaining that they have not been seen yet at the ER. I try not to tell them, "I told you so.", but sometimes that is an appropriate response:rolleyes:

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Where's that "Death of Common Sense" thread? :coollook:

Common sense has been dead for a long time. I noticed that younger folks- under 30- do not seem to have a clue on how to take care of minor illnesses or injury. They all seem to want the "magic pill" that is going to make everything better right away.

A prime example of this occured to me last night. Mom calls and says child has ear pain and is crying. I asked her how long this had been going on for and was told 3 days. I asked mom what symptoms caused mom to call this evening. Her reply, "The child is keeping me up from her crying and I can't sleep." (Notice there is no mention of the child is in pain and mom is concerned.)

I made an appointment for the child and then asked mom, what was the child getting for pain relief. Mom's reply was nothing and acted surprise that she could actually give her child something. I told her to give the child otc Tylenol and see if that was helpful.

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I always thought it was so strange when a person came in with a cold, flu or one episode of diarrhea/vomiting. The only place I would want to be is in my bed unless I was in extreme (think childbirth) pain. Another poster was right though, it seems like its usually the younger people....the older folks are dragged in kicking and screaming for things like CP or syncope (had a pt recently who had not seen a doctor since 1980, his son confirmed this!)

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I love the ones who come in because they drank 1/2 bottle of vodka and vomited! Always said I should trach a "what to expect when you drink to excess" class in my community.LOL

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the er i work in had this same problem, so when it came time to remodel they decided to add on a 6 bed "fast track" unit where patients with sore throats, ingrown toenails, blah, blah, blah can be seen. these patients generally wait awhile in the waiting room, but once they come back the doctor sees them and generally they are gone within 15-20 mins. it's nice because you don't have these people mixed in with the chest pain and diff breathing patients.

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