Diagnoses you never thought you'd see?

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What's the most unusual patient you've ever had? I've had a couple--one was a woman whose admit orders included that she was NOT to have any food from home. They suspected that her husband was POISONING her.

The other was a woman who was a former LPN with a textbook case of Munchausen's syndrome. There was really nothing wrong with her but she kept insisting (moaning, actually) that she was SO sick. Very weird.

I too have taken care of a patient with Creutzfeldt Jacob disease. The associated dementia in this patient was so different than the Altzheimers, or other types of dementia Ive seen over the years. I actually had a scare once with this patient, when a tiny drop of of gastric juice splashed onto my lip, from the G-tube .I was SO paranoid that I would catch this devastating disease.

The other thing Ive witnessed was breast CA, that had grown so large it broke through the skin, it was really awful, but the dear old lady did not seem to be in any discomfort, strange, huh?

I've had two CJ pts. It is a devastating disease.

Coincidentally, I had pt w/ a fungating breast carcinoma. She was fairly young. Her affected breast looked like it was made of rotten, moldy mushrooms.

Had a pt with Pick's Disease.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pick's_disease

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Specializes in NICU.

Fraser syndrome :(

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One thing I never thought I would see come by ambulance in the ER: two parents bringing a baby with a very mild case of diaper rash. And, the EMTs literally stated that in their report prior to arrival -- "bringing in a 11-month-old with diaper rash." WOW. I know that's not exactly what this post was looking for, but I was definitely shocked considering I've had a redder butt after having a bad case of diarrhea.. LOL.. and an ambulance that could have been going to get a chest pain/heart attack was tied up delivering a baby with diaper rash who was all goo-goo, ga-ga smiles upon arrival.

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Specializes in NICU.
One thing I never thought I would see come by ambulance in the ER: two parents bringing a baby with a very mild case of diaper rash. And, the EMTs literally stated that in their report prior to arrival -- "bringing in a 11-month-old with diaper rash." WOW. I know that's not exactly what this post was looking for, but I was definitely shocked considering I've had a redder butt after having a bad case of diarrhea.. LOL.. and an ambulance that could have been going to get a chest pain/heart attack was tied up delivering a baby with diaper rash who was all goo-goo, ga-ga smiles upon arrival.

Wow, aren't there certain criteria you have to meet to warrant an ambulance ride?! :rolleyes:

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jacob-creutzfeldt, i think is what you are looking for.....sometimes the two names are reversed, and sometimes abbr. cjd...

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.
STDs in a 2 year old:o:o:o

Oh, no... That's just heartbreaking.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
Once saw a seizure patient whose disorder was precipitated by neurocysticercosis. I now order my bacon extra crispy.

This fellow had had a seizure and the not-so-bright MD at that community's ED dxed him with EtOH induced seizure and sent him home. How you can do that without drawing a EtOH level I'm not sure. He followed up with us; our doc ordered an MRI and bingo! Poor fellow.

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Fraser syndrome :(

I had never heard of this disorder, but here's a VERY interesting article about someone who had this and lived to age 96.

http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/35/6/642

Had she been born today, she might not have been blind either.

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Specializes in ER, IICU, PCU, PACU, EMS.
Wow, aren't there certain criteria you have to meet to warrant an ambulance ride?!

You would think so, but no, anyone who says 'I want to go to the hospital in your ambulance' gets a ride. This is how 911 abuse continues.

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Wow, aren't there certain criteria you have to meet to warrant an ambulance ride?! :rolleyes:

Things I've seen ambulance rides for:

- ear infection

- scabies

- "I gots nowhere to sleep tonight"

- superficial burn to the scalp and cheek (this one was a helicopter ride)

- blood alcohol level of 0.06

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Specializes in NICU.
You would think so, but no, anyone who says 'I want to go to the hospital in your ambulance' gets a ride. This is how 911 abuse continues.

Wow, I had no idea. They need to hike the insurance rates up for those idiots.

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Specializes in CVICU, CCU, MICU, SICU, Transplant.

40 yr old man with: dextrocardia, transposition of the great vessels (wasnt repaired when he was a child), and a single ventricle.

This guy had cardiac surgery with us a week ago (not sure what for exactly, didnt care for him,...but it was a LONG surgery...he was on bypass from 8am till 1am the next day. Was a train wreck post op.

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