What was the MOST ridiculous thing a patient came to the ER for?

Specialties Emergency Nursing Q/A

And did you have to treat them?

I am just curious. Your stories always seem to either crack me up or shake my head in amazement.

Thanks for sharing ?

these are just a few...

patient: "i need a bullet removed from my leg."

nurse: "when did you get shot?"

patient: "5 years ago"

nurse: "is it bothering you?

patient: "nope, i just want it as a souvenir."

87 year old man "i broke off a crayon off in my pee hole"

it seems that older men like to do this because i have seen a lot of weird things used.

"can you help me, i have a light bulb stuck in my rear and i think it broke"

i am not a mother but this seems a bit extreme.

early morning a mother brought in 2 year old daughter because she spilled "murphy's oil soap" on her arm and mother washed it off the night before. "i just want her checked."

:yeah:

this submission reminded me of an experience my mom had when i was about 6 weeks old and she was on maternity leave. she received a frantic phone call from the state police asking if she could please go with them on an emergency call since they couldn't track down anyone else (by law, it had to be a woman)

to go on such short notice since it was the week of christmas. she was a young attorney and, while she had no medical experience, she was an officer of the court. the police, my mom, and a young physician traveled to the remote mountain top where the little old lady was. they found her living in an unheated shack, no electricity or running water, lying on a bare, stained grey mattress. when the men tried to lift her up, they discovered the mattress ticking had grown into an open and festering decubitus on her sacrum. there she lay, trapped, in her own filth. she went to the er mattress and all, where because of the holiday, they were shorthanded and my mom ended up helping clean her up and documenting findings. she had a wad of ancient bills stuffed in her lady parts, more under one breast, a dried out biscuit under the other breast, and what had been a slice of bread, between her thigh and body. the mattress had to be debrided, as though it had been flesh, in the or. i don't think my mom ever totally recovered from that experience although she did help prosecute the son and his wife. not ridiculous perhaps, but horrible and inhumane. she deserves to be remembered for her endurance.

kathy

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

there are several "grossest nursing story" threads. you should post this on one of those!

87 year old man "i broke off a crayon off in my pee hole"

it seems that older men like to do this because i have seen a lot of weird things used.

i wonder if they're doing this because of urinary incontinence. :confused: truthfully, women would probably do that kind of thing too if they knew where their urethra was!

there actually exists a device for female urinary incontinence that looks like a plastic matchstick with a base on it. ouch

Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

there actually exists a device for female urinary incontinence that looks like a plastic matchstick with a base on it. ouch

i'm pretty sure i just felt my urethra relocate to somewhere in the general vicinity of my lungs... also it just snapped shut. eek!

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

Specializes in ER - trauma/cardiac/burns. IV start spec.

Busy ER night. At the time of this story we had rotating ER of the night. 87 yo lady - very tiny too I might add came in by ambulance for chest pain. She had the standard chest pain work up. We were so full that we pulled her stretcher close to the nurses desk so that we could monitor:nurse: her cardiac rate. I noticed that the rate would jump very high and gradually slow down to normal. This happened every time she pulled the sheet up over her head. I finally went over and pulled the sheet down and there on the bed were several lines of cocaine:eek:. 87 and doing cocaine????? No wonder she had chest pain. You should have seen her son when he found out his mother was a cocaine addict - he was a member of the DA's office.:omy:

Busy ER night. At the time of this story we had rotating ER of the night. 87 yo lady - very tiny too I might add came in by ambulance for chest pain. She had the standard chest pain work up. We were so full that we pulled her stretcher close to the nurses desk so that we could monitor:nurse: her cardiac rate. I noticed that the rate would jump very high and gradually slow down to normal. This happened every time she pulled the sheet up over her head. I finally went over and pulled the sheet down and there on the bed were several lines of cocaine:eek:. 87 and doing cocaine????? No wonder she had chest pain. You should have seen her son when he found out his mother was a cocaine addict - he was a member of the DA's office.:omy:
You'd think an 87 year old LOL wouldn't even know what cocaine was. I wonder how she got started? Eek!

Old guy (70s) comes in around noon says hes not feeling "right."

When did this start?

Him:"3 Months ago"

Did you call you doctor?

Him: I did, I have an appointment at 3pm, are you going to make me late for it?"

Havent actually worked in the ED myself, but i know someone who knows someone.....patient's head is bothering her. her poor neck had to hold it up for 18 years, and she thinks it needs a break.....wanted a neck brace.

Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
havent actually worked in the ed myself, but i know someone who knows someone.....patient's head is bothering her. her poor neck had to hold it up for 18 years, and she thinks it needs a break.....wanted a neck brace.

where's that "yikes!" button when i need it?:banghead:

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

Havent actually worked in the ED myself, but i know someone who knows someone.....patient's head is bothering her. her poor neck had to hold it up for 18 years, and she thinks it needs a break.....wanted a neck brace.

That made me think of that Southeast Asian tribe where the women wear brass rings around their necks, and if they are removed, they really do need a brace because their neck muscles have atrophied.

40 y/o male, winter time...comes to the ER triage nurse wanting to be seen. States, "When I get cold, my nipples get hard"

:chuckle:roll:trout:

the faces say it all!

we had a guy stick a remote control up his butt. had to get it surgically removed. i mean i guess he had a valid reason to be there after the fact...but why and how?..

iv heard of hairspray bottels up there to...*shivers*

+ Add a Comment