Strange things people present to the ER with....

Specialties Emergency

Published

What are some of the strangest things you have heard people say are wrong with them....and what was the MD's diagnosis..

I had a guy come in saying he had "what looked like adult Chickenpox on his d**k".....can we say "HELLO---HERPES"

Had a guy come in today with "brain pain for 2 years"......for lack of anything better--all test were negative....? migraines

I know there are some more good ones out there...let's hear 'em...........

Specializes in Post Anesthesia.
I went to the ER once with blood clots, they determined it was just menorrhagia, acted like I was wasting their time and without so much as a blood test sent me home. A year later, my new primary doctor found out the real problem was stage 4 uterine cancer. I may have mispronounced things, I'm not sure...it's hard to tell when you were as anemic as I was.

I'm not trying to be mean, I know what you go through and how silly some people can be. I spent a month in the hospital after my diagnosis and my nurses became my family at the hardest time in my life.

I hate to tell you but you have WAY TOO HIGH of an opinion of what an E.R. can diagnose and treat. Didn't they refer you to your GYN? I would think a GYN doc would have a much better chance of working up the cause of heavy flow. The TV show "ER" and it's numerous copies has the world convinced an ER can diagnose, treat, fix, and rehab any illness or injury... And send you home the same day. From my experience: trauma, stroke, MI or profound alergic reaction- ER can make a big difference. Anything else, you are just losing sleep and taking up space.

I went to the ER once with blood clots, they determined it was just menorrhagia, acted like I was wasting their time and without so much as a blood test sent me home. A year later, my new primary doctor found out the real problem was stage 4 uterine cancer. I may have mispronounced things, I'm not sure...it's hard to tell when you were as anemic as I was.

I'm not trying to be mean, I know what you go through and how silly some people can be. I spent a month in the hospital after my diagnosis and my nurses became my family at the hardest time in my life.

The ER isn't staffed with oncologists and OB/GYNs. All the ER does is make sure you're not loosing too much blood and have you follow up. If it took you a year to follow up, that's your issue, not the ERs.

Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.

uh, we had an adult male present with a class ring around the tip of his member. by the time he got back to us, it had been about an hour and a half since he got it on. when we saw him in all of his glory, it had turned several shades of blue and gray...thankfully we got it off with a mechanized ring cutter...

We just had a guy last week with one of my favorites. He c/o chest pain after smoking crack when he masturbated. He was admitted to the floor, went AMA to go smoke more crack and came back. While one of our patients was about to code he went AMA again and never returned. My advice to his was to give up the crack or the masturbation...his choice.

Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

When I worked the floor, every year we would get at least 2 or 3 of these: a guy, say 35 or 40, decides for his New Year's resolution he is going to quit smoking and take up jogging.

So he throws out his cigarettes, and goes jogging, for the first time, in 20 degrees (or often colder) weather. Being a macho man, he has to go at least a mile. He always comes in c/o terrible cough and his lungs hurt. Ummmmmmm, yeah. You're coughing up all that crap in your lungs from smoking for the last 20 years, and you're exercising HARD in below freezing weather. OF COURSE you're coughing and your chest hurts. Mine would too if I did that!!!! (And I've NEVER smoked.)

Specializes in ED, L&D, ICU, Charge.

One of my favorites are always the N/V and abd pain that come in eating Doritos and drinking Mountain Dew even though they "can't hold ANYTHING down" yeah, ok......

I once had a teenager who couldn't get the condom back off : ouch, but at least he tried, right? :confused:

pregnancy tests, especially when the 3 at home already turned positive, always a good use of ER funding

how about the new baby who hasn't pooped "all day" (great one after switching to formula)

one of my favorite questions, did you take anything for the ...(pain...fever...etc) no

ahhhhhh, can't cure stupid.......:idea:

But I love my job

pregnancy tests, especially when the 3 at home already turned positive, always a good use of ER funding

I've already mentioned this here, but I believe that at least some of the women who go to the ER for a pregnancy test are doing this because they believe they can get an abortion if it's positive.

:confused:

Specializes in ED, L&D, ICU, Charge.

Oh, no, around here it's because they "want to make sure" or don't believe the urine one.....

Specializes in ER.

Yep, wanting to be sure is always the statement where I work. They also think our tests will show positive or negative sooner than the drugstore ones.

Had a guy last time I worked who was waking up with abdominal pain every morning "like it's empty or something." Pain relieved with coffee and a cigarette, and no, he did not eat breakfast. Some people deserve to wait 12 hours.

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