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

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 ?

[2ndCareerRN]

Normally I would not have anything to add to one of these threads, but, just the other night a 20 something female came in because she cut a fingernail to short and it hurt.

She waited over 2 hours to be told to go home, there was nothing we would do for her.

bob

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

JUSTYSMOM said:

Now why in the world would you even think that it would be silly to go to the ER for that? I had a kidney stone years ago. It was probably the worst pain I ever felt in my life!

I agree.......kidney stones are an experience in pain that Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition, could never have topped! I had two of 'em several years ago---one in the right kidney, and one in the bladder, both of which were almost a centimeter in diameter---and ended up having to have them blasted out by laser lithotripsy. A couple days before the procedure the bladder stone had tried to pass on its own, but of course it was far too big to get through, and I'm telling you, I sat on the toilet for about three hours (it felt like I had to pee every two minutes, so I ended up just staying in there), the sweat was pouring off me in rivers, and it was all I could do to keep from screaming! I'd never been in such agony in my life, and I've been through appendicitis, unmedicated childbirth, and three C-sections. On a 0-10 scale, this pain rated at least a 12.5.......I'll never forget it.

Then, of course, after you have the laser lithotripsy, there's the little matter of having stents in your ureters to keep them patent. Every time I went to the bathroom---and that was pretty danged often---it felt like someone had lit twin blowtorches in my lower back. The first time I was able to pee without pain, after my urologist had removed the stents, it felt so good I literally burst into tears........Needless to say, I make sure to ALWAYS drink at least two liters of water and other non-caffeinated fluids every day, as I know the statistical probability of a repeat performance (and thus live in fear of another attack :chair: ).

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

EEEEEWWWWWWWW. ?

[Medic946RN]

I always seem to get the ones who come to ED for routine illnessess, chest colds, strep, etc that have just come from their doctor's office. You see the doc examined them and gave them an rx but they want a second opinion, or they don't feel any better yet. Never mind they haven't gotten the script filled or even taken a pill yet. I'd love to say "Lemme see what Dr Jones gave you. Yep, looks like the proper course of treatment for bronchitis to me." Rings little bell. "Thank you. Next!" :rotfl:

[hogan4736, BSN, RN]

Traumamama59 said:

Worst weirdest was a person that drank a cup of abrasive substance that wasn't supposed to be drank. Can't tell ya any more than that without violating HIPAA. Needless to say it wasn't pretty and that person is really messed up for life.

Pam

HIPAA??? Even if you tell us he drank Drano and ended up on Levophed and Dopamine w/ a pressure of only 80 and was transferred to toxicology, HIPAA couldn't touch you...Just don't use names

(me shouting loudly) "Hey HIPAA, I treated a guy in 1996 w/ the above story"

(anyone w/in the sound of my voice) "cool story, thanks"

Had a young idiot come in to triage at 0100 for a paternity test, as he was due in court IN SIX HOURS!

I told him to leave...

[RNin92]

Stupid People=Job Security

Well known fact of life in the ER

[Momto2Boys]

LPN2Be2004 said:

Gum stuck in long blond (bleached) hair. The doctor wrote a recommendation on an order sheet to a cosmetologist.

Are you serious?

[Momto2Boys]

2ndCareerRN said:

Normally I would not have anything to add to one of these threads, but, just the other night a 20 something female came in because she cut a fingernail to short and it hurt.

She waited over 2 hours to be told to go home, there was nothing we would do for her.

bob

OH MY!! And I wonder if she got a bill for that? Some of these stories are shocking

[gwenith, BSN, RN]

We have a way of slowing down the "trivial" complaints i.e. cut too small to see - we ask the person when they last had a tetorifice shot. It is always more than 10 years ago - you shoudl see their faces!!!!!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

RNin92 said:

Stupid People=Job Security

Well known fact of life in the ER

Half the world's population has a below average IQ!

[SWFlorida]

These trivial complaints are generally not covered by any form of insurance and even medicaid is cracking down on non emergent visits. The patients are usually very angry when they receive a bill for $600.00 in the mail. More and more hospitals are becomming more and more aggressive at collecting on these bills also. The way to treat under educated consumers who utilize a resource for the wrong reasons is to hit them in the pocket book. Paying a huge bill will get them to think about visiting their primary care physician first or trying home treatments. People just dont want to think any more. They'd rather go crying to "Mommy" aka the "ER" than to try to take care of it themselves. We've created a very dependent society.

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

mjlrn97 said:

I agree.......kidney stones are an experience in pain that Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition, could never have topped! I had two of 'em several years ago---one in the right kidney, and one in the bladder, both of which were almost a centimeter in diameter---and ended up having to have them blasted out by laser lithotripsy. A couple days before the procedure the bladder stone had tried to pass on its own, but of course it was far too big to get through, and I'm telling you, I sat on the toilet for about three hours (it felt like I had to pee every two minutes, so I ended up just staying in there), the sweat was pouring off me in rivers, and it was all I could do to keep from screaming! I'd never been in such agony in my life, and I've been through appendicitis, unmedicated childbirth, and three C-sections. On a 0-10 scale, this pain rated at least a 12.5.......I'll never forget it.

Then, of course, after you have the laser lithotripsy, there's the little matter of having stents in your ureters to keep them patent. Every time I went to the bathroom---and that was pretty danged often---it felt like someone had lit twin blowtorches in my lower back. The first time I was able to pee without pain, after my urologist had removed the stents, it felt so good I literally burst into tears........Needless to say, I make sure to ALWAYS drink at least two liters of water and other non-caffeinated fluids every day, as I know the statistical probability of a repeat performance (and thus live in fear of another attack :chair: ).

I also went to the ER twice in 24 hours (admitted the second time) for kidney stones. They are NO laughing matter and anyone working in the ER who's ever had one has nothing but sympathy for us poor souls who have this problem. Toradol was great, it was the only thing to turn the pain from a 9 to a 0 within minutes, and no narcotic haze! I had been doing the dance that the other poster mentioned, alternated between rolling around on the bed and pacing the room - it's like if I stopped moving the pain got worse. But you were lucky your urologist removed your stents. I had to remove my own!!! Had a cystoscopy to remove my stones from the ureter (two smashed together and not budging despite huge IV fluid boluses) and was told to pull the stent 3 days later. It had a string attached to it and they said to pull it out real slow...so I did...very very weird feeling...and I just kept pulling and pulling and pulling. Thought it was maybe a 2-3 inch little stent to keep the part where they pulled the stones from swelling. NOPE. Curled end in the bladder, curled end up in the kidney. Like maybe an 8 french soft tube, about 12 inches long. :uhoh21: