[shootemrn]

I was just browsing these boards and I read posts from all over the country and things are pretty much the same everywhere!
I see these things all the time and I think they are universal throught our ED's..these are my observations please tell me if you disagree or if you have had similar experiences.

1. Everyone wants a meal when they come to the ED usually after 9 pm.

2. Ever notice how many people have cell phones and use them in the department with signs posted everywhere in five different languages not to use them?

3. Have you gone through a shift without using the bathroom?

4. Isn't the onset and reaction from the blue looking herion OD to IVP Narcan the coolest thing in the world!

5. Do you get broken hearted when patients tell you "If that doctor doesnt get in here in five minutes. I AM LEAVING!"

6. How many patients have you seen with the chief complaint of Nausea and abd pain that were drinking soda and eating frito's.

7. How many times a day are you asked "How long is it until the doctor see's me?"

8. On busy days when the strechers are lining the hallways and the patients reach out to you and grab you as you walk by. Do you feel like Richard Dreyfus entering the space ship in Close Encounters of the Third Kind?

9. How many times a day do you hear a Doc say "Where is the chart for room 8?" and it is either in front of him or in his hand.

10. Isnt it amazing that people will go through a complete Abd workup and all they wanted was a HCG Quant?

11. Ever woke a patient up from a snoring deep sleep to have them tell you their pain is a 10/10 (pain is truly subjective!)

12. Ever treat a child with a fever of 103 and vomiting who's parents tried homopathy and gave the child baths in rosehips and tried every natural remedy under the sun, and you promptly shove tylenol up their butt?

13. Would you drop dead of an MI if someone covered their mouth while coughing instead of coughing directly into your face.

There are just some thoughts and observations. I am sure their are many more universal ED facts that will come out. These are the ones on the top of my head.

[debbyed]

But you did forget the need for that Monday Morning work note.

[kaycee]

And after waitiing hours to see the doc after coming in by ambulance to be seen for a sore throat, don't forget the demand for a cab slip for a free ride home.

[amy]

Oh my god!!! I am laughing my *** off!
Don't forget the ones who come in wait for 2+ hrs to be seen, they are next up, and decide that they cannot wait any longer and will see their primary doc because they "aren't really that sick"?
Or the chest painers that complain of chest pain, have an inconclusive EKG and then sign out AMA because they just wanted an EKG to prove they weren't having an MI and not a cardiac workup?

Or the frequent flyer that comes in for multiple bogus complaints that bring 15 friends to maintain a bedside vigil for a sore throat that they have had for 3 wks. that they rate as a "10" on the pain scale?

The sprained ankle that carried on so grandly that got medicated with multiple doses of IV pain meds, discharged with an ace wrap, crutches and a script at 4 pm that returns at 10 pm with an unwrapped foot, no crutches and in "excruciating" pain but never filled their prescription?

The psych eval that comes with a suitcase and refuses to leave when not admitted to the unit?

The unresponsive that perks up after a normal CT scan that within 30 min. of returning from CT and gets assigned a bed then completes an enormous CVA, gets intubated and now awaits an ICU bed?

Oh, the list may go on...

[amy]

and it goes on...
The dental pain that gets discharged with script for antibiotics and pain meds that returns 3 days later with facial swelling bcause they felt they did not need to take anything bt the pain meds?

The crying and hysterical ETOH+ that called EMS or police to be transferred to the ER for detox that after a couple of hours sobers up and wants to go home because they need a drink not detox and claim they are being detained against their will?

The narcotic abuser that states they are allergic to NSAIDS and all other pain meds but their drug of choice?

The barely conscious chronic pain sufferer that claims intolerable pain but cannot understand why their duragesic patch prescription is being revoked after arriving with 3-5+ patches in place, multiple recent sticky areas where a patch was not long ago removed, and a 3 month prescription that ran out after only 3 wks?

The COPD-er that after being seen by the pulmonologist who refuses to admit the patent even after voiced concerns by the ER MD and nurses returns by car before arriving home that is now needing immediate intubation?

The psych pt. that actually has legitimate medical problems that in an effort to get attention walks in with some kind of pain and after being medicated with narcotics claims the pain is worse and refuses to even attempt the get and go test?

The pain pt. that gets medicated with a med that they had an unknown allergy to now gets admitted to tele or CCU after episodes of intractable chest pain and/or EKG changes?

The patient's visitor that leaves their own beverage on the floor, forgets it, spills it, slips and falls in it, and want to sue the facility for negligence after repeatedly being asked not to bring beverages in to the treatment area?

The patient that blames the hospital for all their medical problems from CAD to HTN, diabetes and bladder polyps that refuses most of the treatment plan then is irate that they are not recieving "adequate care"?

The patient visitor that pulls up on the ambulance ramp with someone in the car with a "Medical Emergency" that turns out to be a sprained ankle?

Honest, I am not getting a little jaded at times...

[ERNurse752]

How about the pts who come in for something very non-urgent, have to wait, get ticked off, and then say, "I've heard all kinds of bad things about this hospital. I'm going to X Hospital where they take you seriously. I could have died back here!"
Why didn't they just go to X Hospital if it were so great?
Go figure...

[shootemrn]

Wow! I should write a book about all the funny and absurd stuff that comes in. I dont think im jaded, but these people keep my job very amusing. Many times I have sneaked back to the med room and chuckle. I think I should post my daily observations weekly on this board. Some of the stuff is to funny to keep to one's own department!

[LerRN95]

....the frequent migraine headache that is cured after five minutes of their DOC is administered...

...the non-working mother that brings her 2 years old out in the snow and cold at 4 am for impetigo of the head x 2weeks....

...the non-emergencies that come in early in the morning with a cold and during triage they already are asking for the work excuse.....

...the patients that come to the window and thinks the ER is a resturant and wants to know how long the wait it......

[Jen911]

- Triaging a patient with a chief complaint of a severe backache, no other symptoms.. Go to put the name band on, pull up his sleeve and find a band there from another hospital's ER.

- You go to give the ordered narcotics IM to your patient and note mulptiple bandaids already in your area of IM administration preference.

- As you're triaging, you ask your patient for their list of drug allergies, to which they reply "ibuprofen, tylenol, and any other NSAID, but Vicodin ES is okay"

[Joshua21]

Lest we forget....the person who comes in at 4am for a review and renewal of script that that was written by a family MD, ran out 2 weeks ago and because he was in the area thought it would be a good time to do it. THEN gripes about how long the wait is "isn't this an emergency? what's taking so long?"


Don't you just love all those sick patients that come in, we fix them as best we can and upon their discharge they're still feeling unwell, or a code doesn't make it (surprise?)and the family sues the hospital. We didn't fix them, we did a poor job, what terribly incompetent staff because I still am ill" well I'm not an internist but is it truly our fault your walking out ill when it's most likely the 50years of big mac meals, fatty foods, eating out, less than rigourous life style, smoking and alcohol consumption simply adding up? Give me a break!