ER- HELP: Dumbest reason people go to ER

Nurses Humor

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ATTN ER Staff!

I am writing a "paper" on the dumbest reasons/stories that people show up/come to ER. Would appreciate ANY input ANY of the ER staff out there has for me.........................IF you'd like a copy of the FINAL draft, please let me know and I'll forward it.

Thanks much!

PS. My winning entry so far is a Mom who brought 1 month old infant in at 2:30 AM because "it wouldn't look her in the eye. It doesn't recognize me!"

Not making this up

Oh my gosh, superglue to the "man" part. Too funny!!!! I'm still laughing

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And could some one tell me why we can be constipated X 2 weeks, have a headache x 4 days or can't sleep and have to call at 0300. Does some people's phone not work during day light hours?

Didn't you know that people only get sick in the middle of the night? It's a rule..... :wink2:

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one of my coworkers went to the er because....he had a rash on his hands. For 2 weeks.

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Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.

OK I don't work in the ER, never have, but I can imagine what you go through. Just working at a Dr's office we get some real winners. They spent the night in the ER cause of silly things, or they want us to right a referral so that their insurance will cover there unnecassary ER visit. While working for a pediatrician I would have people call and just HAVE to bring their kid in because OMG he has a fever!! How high?? 98.5... uhhh yeah, enough said. Or the parents who bring in their child (I'm sure ER gets LOTS of these) with a pretty high fever and you ask them, did you give tylenol/motrin? Well no I was bringing him in so I wanted the doc to be able to see what was wrong... HELLLLLOOOO Tylenol is not a cure... If he has an ear infection it will still be infected if you give them tylenol! Peds... gotta love it though :heartbeat

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
Ha ha - I had a patient come into the ER where I work last week because her 15-day-old baby's BELLY BUTTON FELL OFF! I was tempted to ask her if she still had hers... :p

My parents had me after a almost a decade of marriage and many miscarriages and stillbirths and to say they were nervous and overly concerned about every aspect of my existence would be an understatement. They were at my grandparents' house for Thanksgiving weekend, and on Thanksgiving day my mother (who had taken me upstairs to change my diaper) suddenly let out a blood curdling shriek.

My grandfather and father went running. My umbilical cord stump had fallen off!:eek: My grandfather's question? "Did you expect her to wear it to start college?":D

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

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My parents had me after a almost a decade of marriage and many miscarriages and stillbirths and to say they were nervous and overly concerned about every aspect of my existence would be an understatement. They were at my grandparents' house for Thanksgiving weekend, and on Thanksgiving day my mother (who had taken me upstairs to change my diaper) suddenly let out a blood curdling shriek.

My grandfather and father went running. My umbilical cord stump had fallen off!:eek: My grandfather's question? "Did you expect her to wear it to start college?":D

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

Yeah, the ER where I work recently had a 17-day-old baby. Visit reason: Umbilical cord fell off.

Maybe they, and your parents, thought it just sort of shriveled up and disappeared like a scab?

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.
Thanks, these are great keep them coming

:o

As a firefighter/EMT, I have seen a few interesting calls

#1 dispatched for "my baby is chocking", Arrived to find a 120 lb black lab puppy eating a chicken bone

#2 Not Medical related but dispatched to pet bird in tree will not come down (true story)

And could some one tell me why we can be constipated X 2 weeks, have a headache x 4 days or can't sleep and have to call at 0300. Does some people's phone not work during day light hours?

I can understand the headache for 4 days. I had one for weeks. I would take tylenol or motrin and it didn't go away for very long and was back. I went to my MD and still no relief with ultram. I went to the ER and had a CT which showed nothing (thank God), but was given demerol and visteral which made it worse. So upon discharging me they gave me 2 vicodin and told me to come back if it wasn't relieved. I ended up going back. They did a LP and nothing (thought possible SAH not showing on CT). Headache continued. The problem: Undiagnosed migraines. My mom asked them to try migraine meds and they wouldn't. Dilaudid didn't even touch it( morphine works better for me). Still sent home. Follow up with neuro and given script for imitrex. First dose the HA went away. Now that I know I have migranes I know how to treat them at home, and only go to the ER when migraine meds and tylenol and motrin don't work. Sometimes the pt tried MD office and is unable to get in or didn't get in, or have seen MD and treatment didn't help and they are desperate. I really understand that feeling, I have been there done that.

The others I just don't understand.

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Specializes in Oncology, Cardiology, ER, L/D.
my 2 favorite c/o # 1 " my privy parts is twinging" my response was "are you bragging or complaning? .

:rotfl::rotfl:

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

A man came to my ED for a new cane. He was in a fight at a subway station, and the police had confiscated his cane as evidence. He wasn't hurt, but he wanted a new cane.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.
A man came to my ED for a new cane. He was in a fight at a subway station, and the police had confiscated his cane as evidence. He wasn't hurt, but he wanted a new cane.

HAHA! Did he get one? Someone should have had the discussion that it is an assistive device, not a weapon.

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Why do parents do some of these silly things?

1. Because the last time we gave them tylenol first, the "fever" was ignored because the child didn't have one when the nurse took the temp. We were then treated like idiots when we said the child DID have a fever!

2. We didn't take the child to the PCP because we were at work when the symptoms started. Some of us are single parents....so I could take the child tomorrow (if it doesn't get worse) but I will get fired for not being at work. Not all jobs care that you are a single mom and your child is sick. (Of course, this is before the creation of those wonderful emergicare-type clinics!)

3. Child could have been throwing up all day(at sitters) - had loose stool too and now could be getting seriously dehydrated.... not to mention that this child is only 6 mo old and weighs 9 lbs....and then we get told that 'all babies spit up'. Hmmm, maybe next time I will bring the clothes the child vomitted the entire feeding on so that you know that I know the difference between VOMIT and SPITTLE!

And honestly, sometimes the PCPs *are* worthless!

- PCP dx: 5 yo with "selective hearing".....needed ENT tubes bilaterally and adnoidectomy.

- PCP dx: bumbling toddler.....was so far sighted that the only thing he could see was the broadside of a barn...not to mention that child is not binocular (still isn't and he is now 20) so NO depth perception!

- the "Chief of Pediatrics" that didn't know the difference between neglect, FTT and CSS (Constitutional Short Stature!) (Oh, and neither did the nurses or the social workers!)

Medicine....such an exact science!:D But, I am looking forward to it...because it certainly isn't boring!

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

I had a young pt come into the ED with abdominal pain. Discharge diagnosis: Jeans too tight.

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