What is the dumbest order you ever read?

good lord, does that doctor think you're an idiot? how insulting

I got one last night..... ugh, wanted to almost ask the intern if he was kidding...this poor vented lady on no sedation no pain meds, nothing was wild and needed something..... guess what the order read
MSO4 1 mg q6h hold if pulse less than 60 I kid u not

I swear that this was a real order


"If patient codes or if heart stops please contact before performing cpr or giving medications"

It was an attending physician that wrote that order and believe it or not he was furious at me when I called to clarify the order. He told me that the family hadn't decided on code status yet so we were not to code the patient until he had a chance to talk to them which he would do if something happened. Have I mentioned that this physician is notorious for not answering pages for at least an hour!

Just saw another weird one from night shift-- this poor doc musta been writing in his sleep....

Lopressor 25 mg po now; hold if heart rate is over 60.

no, we didn't give the darned pill

HEELLOOOOOOOOO??????? wanna clarify that???

Well, in the resort area I was then working, eldery RICH lady is an inpatient with some medical malady which escapes me now. Order was for 45 cc Dubonet at hs. Her room mate, on the other hand, was on an anti DT regime.....The roomie was medicare, thus the difference I guess, since the first old lady had a definite drinking problem.....
And, not too long ago I was doing orders on evenings and came across one that said " Do not call me for anything unless the pt is unarousable." Don't even call to have the previous order clarified...I called anyway......

"Cancel incentive spirometry....it makes pt cough" Duh.

<" Do not call me for anything unless the pt is unarousable.">

A quality care manangement RN..... or a lawyer.... would have a field day with that order.


I was given one recently for a brain dead, non-donor pt whose heart rate was slowing by the hour and BP was already gone:

"Kayexelate enema (K+ = 6.3)"

yeah, right.

Vital signs q hour until 8am on a dead patient when the doc was angry for being woke up at 2am to tell him his patient had died.

A couple of weekends ago, I had a physician write an order for Zestril 500 mg QD. Yikes. That would do something for the old BP and HR!! The pt had pnuemonia and I figured the doctor meant to write for Zithromax. I called him and read the order back, he about died!! He was a good sport about it and quickly changed the order to Zithromax.

Gee, I would've started calling him every hour with an update on the vital signs: "It's 5 AM, Doctor...just thought you should know the BP's still 00/00! Isn't that something? Sorry, did I wake you?"