Are you afraid to go to the ER?

palesarah · Sep 17, 2006

I went to the ER a month or so ago... because my toe hurt.

Actually I change into my flipflops when I'm getting into my car after work, and I caught my bare foot in the car door after work on a Friday night- BLINDING, nauseating 10/10 pain. Had a 1 hour commute home after that and I cried for most of it. Iced it, soaked it, rested it... hobbled around a bit Saturday then iced it some more, soaked it, took a leftover Vicodin, tried to sleep then finally agreed to let hubby take me in in the morning- I wasn't about to go to the ER on a Saturday night with a booboo toe!

A wonderful NP Bovie'd a hole in my toenail and the relief was instant once all the built-up blood drained out. I was so embarrassed to go in for a booboo toe, but it was a BAD booboo toe!

clee1 · Sep 18, 2006

My local ER??? Yes, but not because of the s/s I might have.

My local ER is staffed with incompetents. I am amazed they haven't been sued out of existence yet.

I'd go there, by ambulance, only if I were bleeding to death.

In general, I'd only go to an ER for legit pain 10/10; CP, SOB, etc. I'd also go there for severe (dehydrating) N/V or sutures after the Urgent Care is closed for the night.

danh3190 · Sep 18, 2006

I've been to my local ER several times for kidney stones. Only way to get the toradol/demerol that relieves the pain. I usually try to tough them out and pass them at home but sometimes it's just impossible.

I always find it embarassing to go there because I know a lot of the nurses. (I'm a paramedic who transports primarily to that ER.) The nurses at our local ER are really good though and I've always had excellent care.

widi96 · Sep 18, 2006

I've been to the ER twice in the last several years. The first time was post MVC where (yes I was an idiot and didn't have my seatbelt on) and I smacked the crap out of my face on the stearing wheel. The second visit was two weeks later when I attempted to go back to work even though I still was unable to keep anything down and couldn't stay awake for longer than 3-4 hours at a time. I had been to the doctor in the mean time, they said I was just sick, but I felt a whole lot better going back to the ER where they CT'd my head again to make sure nothing was abnormal up there. I was given two bags of fluid for my dehydration and diagnosed with Post Concussive Syndrome. Yeah, the second visit was possibly unwarranted, but it certainly made me feel a whole lot better.

Noahm · Sep 18, 2006

OMG I got mastitis really really bad when nursing my 3rd baby. I was so unwell, in pain, and could barely stand up. My GP sent me to the ER where I got assesed by doctors and nurses I had previously worked with not long before. We all just broke out in giggles. I think I did first, then they did. My excuse was I had a really high fever. I wasn't that embarrassed really, I felt like total crap and just wanted to feel better.

ERNP · Sep 18, 2006

I have never been an ER patient. I don't know what it would take to get me there. I can usually maalox away chest pain........... never had trouble breathing..... keep phenergan on hand...... Nope I haven't ever been a patient in the ED.

I have had my children in the ED.

Visit #1 male child with appendicitis

Visit #2 female child with appendicitis diagnosed by male child who had previously suffered

Visit #3 male child fell rollerblading and broke both arms (he wasn't wearing his wrist guards)

Actually, visit #2 and #3 both occured while my children were spending some time with my mother out of town during the summer. I didn't actually take them, but i met them there later.

I would go for extertional chest pain that didn't go away with maalox. I would definitely go for kidney stone pain if I had it. Would go for sudden excrutiating headache not relieved by OTC meds (since I don't have headaches). I would go if I thought I had a surgical abdomen. I would go for significant trauma.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Sep 18, 2006

:rolleyes:

They took me twice in the ambulance from fire scenes. No I didn't set the fire. I was dehydrated, to the point of silliness.
And twice for the afore mentioned "stomach ache from hell". 12+ hours, nausea, diarrhea...vomiting? No, no vomiting for me, I gagged myself all day and just could NOT get my socks to come up. It would have been a wonderful relief to have vomited. I'm not one that takes vomiting lightly either. I'm what is called a "full body" vomiter. Have you seen this before? Stomping the floor, hitting the wall, waking up the neighbors with the "BLAAAHHHH, WAAAAAHHHHHH, UUUUUHHHHHHH" and you puke like 2 teaspoons....it is horrible.
Anyways...my story.

OMG!! that's so hilarious! are you sure I haven't taken care of you before??? :roll :rotfl: :rotfl:

A-hem. Back to the topic.

Ummm....lesseee. Had to get some pain meds for a nerve compression problem in my back, after pacing the floors for about 48 hours, since no other position was comfortable. Of course it was a holiday weekend and I couldn't get to my chiro (which is what I'd normally have done).

After they slammed me some IV Demerol and Phenergan, the shicks doctorsh who came in the room tol' me I din' have a break, and shent me home.

I went out the middle of the four doors that came up.

The next day, my chiro saw me and adjusted the back and voila. Back to work the next day. (She rocks! I think in another life she was a large-animal vet. She's so strong, I believe she could easily pin a Holstein.)

The other time, I conveniently went into V-Tach at work. So the girls piled the monitor into my lap, stuffed a NC in my nose, and drove me down to the ER in a wheelchair.

Now, my husband does not want to hear about anything medical, so when he was called and told by some misinformed staffer that I was being Coded, his response was, "Well, ok, let me get the kid off to school and I'll be over in a couple hours."

Clueless. Completely clueless. :rolleyes:

But he's mine and I love him anyway. And I can still laugh about it and embarrass the heck out of him when I do.

JessicRN · Sep 18, 2006

I lived in an area where the only hospital that accepted my insurance was the ER I worked in. UGH I had to go for 2 missed abortions. The staff was great I have to say. My own obstetrician came to the ER to do the D/E's in the ER (can you believe it it was 0230 in the AM) and the nurses refused to let him start the procedure without medicating me even though he felt I did not need it.

The next time I went was when I was told the only way I could be started on imitrex IM, was to have the first dose in the ER so I went then. Again they were great.

And finally the last time I went to my own hospital I did not remember I awoke in the ICU after having Malignant hyperthermia after a dental procedure under sedation. That could have been really embarassing if I were awake.

gonzo1, ASN, RN · Sep 18, 2006

Laid up for 4 days with vomiting last winter, lost 10 pounds. My husband kept saying let me take you to the ER. I told him he could call 911 if he found me unconcious. I can't stand the thought of ending up a pt at any ER, let alone my own.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 18, 2006

soooo...i believe in karma, but sometimes making fun of people who come to the er is just too flippin' funny. we had a rare (brief) downtime the other day and the consensus was that none of us would dare show our faces in the er for anything less then an amputation. we had a new nurse (new grad, in her early 40's) present with "chest pain" the other day. she ended up with a dx of acid reflux. i think she about died of shame, poor thing.
what would bring you to your own er for tx???
(don't include your children. i have brought my kiddo's in for a few different things that probably could have waited. the doc's i work with are super nice about taking a look at staff's kids and i really let them know how much i appreciated them!)

nothing would bring me to my own er for treatment unless i collapsed unconscious at work and was dragged down there before i woke up enough to protest! now i'm going to read the rest of the replies -- this thread ought to be good!

Jennifer, RN · Sep 19, 2006

I would come for severe headache (like head bleed h/a), seizure, severe tachycardia, severe SOB, severe chest pain, chest pain associated with sob, nausea and diaphoresis, severe right side abd pain, kidney stone pain, trauma (of course), amputation, laceration needing sutures, broken bones.

I would bring my kids in for severe abd pain with guarding, high fever not responding to tylenol and motrin, seizures, difficulty breathing, lacs needing sutures, broken bones, dehydration, head injuries.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Sep 19, 2006

Honestly, after my last nightmare visit to an ER, unconsciouosness would have to be the culprit to bring me in, because i wouldn't be awake enough to say no.