The Infamous Cab-ulance

Specialties Emergency

Published

I'm curious to know some of the things your patients call the ambulance for. Just recently we've had patients who present to the ED via EMS and c/o ripped cuticle, or a med refill, along with many more complaints that, in my opinion, absolutely do not justify the need for emergency medical services. The worst one lately, though, was a patient who presented to the ED and when getting off the stretcher, stated that they just needed a ride to this side of town to get to their friend's house and simply walked out the EMS bay doors. I was flabbergasted.

What inane EMS runs have you experienced?

I had a patient present by ambulance in the middle of the night whose c/c was a sprained ankle about 3 months prior... it was still bothering her. Doc gave her an outpatient x-ray referral and discharged her. Her question to me: How am I going to get home?

Sheesh.

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The thing about triage is that they're receiving an evaluation by a medical professional.
Actually, they're not. They're simply being triaged by a nurse.

As the courts and CMS have ruled definitively, the "evaluation" - or "medical screening exam" - is performed post-triage and done by a provider (MD/DO/PA/NP).

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

MODERATOR NOTE:

This thread is about the inane EMS runs and the ridiculous things they are called to transport.

What inane EMS runs have you experienced?
If you wish to debate RN/EMT-P regs and education please start another thread.

Further arguing and off topic discussion will be removed and points assigned.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

thread closed for review.

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Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

ADMIN NOTE:

Thread reopened.

Please keep your comments on topic and respectful.

Carry on.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Taken in for EMS for a rash for a week. Patient now has no rash. "You don't know what caused my rash!?" No, and there is no visible rash. Go see an allergist. Cab voucher home? You have an iPhone and you can't afford a couple bucks for a bus or taxi? Really???

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

The reverse:

Had a home vent patient who HAD to be transported (with private duty RN) by ambulance for MD appointment. I get asked at the last minute to accompany patient.

Load everything up (no small feat) 50+ miles to the children's hospital outpatient area, UNload it all, wait for appointment. Asked mom what we're here for today. "I don't know- they just made me the appointment."

Soooo.... we wait and finally get into to see the dermatologist. Guess what this expen$ive appointment was for?

To see if the rash the kiddo had THREE MONTHS AGO during hospitalization had cleared up. Kid has an RN in his home eight hours per day. Could one of us called in the rash update? Yeah

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Specializes in Emergency.

I popped into this thread looking for a little humor. When I was a paramedic, and even now as and ED RN, I collect chief complaints. Two of my favorites from my time pre-hospital:

0300 called to respond for difficulty breathing to an apartment complex that was low income/assisted living, almost a group home type setting. Of course the call was in the farthest building back on the third floor, my partner and I trudged back, (carrying the "featherweight LP 11, Plano drug box, and O2 bag) Finally wheezing my my way into the apartment I found a 30ish man standing waiting for me. "What's going on tonight" says I.

"I'm not breathing."

"At all?" I hear my partner turn without dropping his bag and call off the responding fire crew.

"Not at all."

"When did you last breath?"

"Last Tuesday."

"Ok, can you walk to the ambulance?" Of course he could. Later, I thought it would have made a better story if I'd asked him to carry a bag.

2nd all time favorite. Called to convenience store, middle of the afternoon. Disgusted looking cop shaking his head walking away as we walk in. Clerk directs us to the back where a nicely dressed middle aged man is standing quietly three feet from the bathroom.

"Did you call for an ambulance?"

"Yeah"

"What's the problem today?"

"I **** my pants."

"Are you sick or in pain?"

"No, the pet store across the street doesn't have a public bathroom, they sent me over here and I couldn't make it."

"And you want me to take you to a hospital?.......Walk this way" I did get half heartedly chewed out by my supervisor later for documenting his chief complaint verbatim.

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And here I thought this thread was going to be about using a cab as an ambulance, which I've done more than once when my asthma was bad. The local cab service is excellent on their speed -- always there in five minutes or less. (I wouldn't do this without having a script for a battery-operated nebuilizer machine and an Epi-Pen, FWIW, but by the time I am making the call for it being ER time I've already done at least one updraft...)

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Specializes in ED, School Nurse.

We had an O2 dependent frequent flier call 911 once because he saw the local power company's truck on his street and he was afraid that he might lose power.

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Specializes in Current: ER Past: Cardiac Tele.

Pt here via EMS c/c "I need my Nexium, it's the only med to relieve my heartburn and my Medicaid won't pay for it." Her husband followed the ambulance to ER met pt in WR. Where, when pt was dropped off in WR by EMS, she got off the stretcher without any assistance and stepped nimbly into a wheelchair.

Triage: "How long have you been out of your Nexium?"

Patient: "Idk, a month?"

Cool.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

22 y old male. "I havent urinated in 3 years."

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