What was the MOST ridiculous thing a patient came to the ER for?

Specialties Emergency Nursing Q/A

And did you have to treat them?

I am just curious. Your stories always seem to either crack me up or shake my head in amazement.

Thanks for sharing ?

Had a girl come in the other night with a tooth ache. No big deal I get it...the likelihood of getting an oral surgeon on a Sunday morning is nil, but we can give ABX and pain control. Tooth aches hurt like hell, I get that. So, I start a line, infuse clinda, etc. She gets 5-325 Norco. Doc tells her he'll write a scrip for Norco and let her go if she's going to see her dentist/oral surgeon on Monday, but that she should take Motrin 600 regularly for additional pain control and swelling. Before we discharge her, her mom, who is with her, asks the doc to write a once order for Motrin 600 before they leave so she doesn't have to stop at a drug store. So, she got a dose of NSAID for a couple hundred bucks to her insurance that she could have gotten by making a five minute stop for several doses at $8 or $9 .[/quote']

The docs around here seem to always write scripts for Motrin so that the insurance covers it. That way the patients can pay 8-9 dollars OTC or have the option to pay 3-5 dollar copay at the pharmacy. Why is this bad?

The docs around here seem to always write scripts for Motrin so that the insurance covers it. That way the patients can pay 8-9 dollars OTC or have the option to pay 3-5 dollar copay at the pharmacy. Why is this bad?

They write scripts so Medicaid will pay for the Motrin. No copay.

frequent flyers go to ER (free) for treatment, food, phone, ride home.. And then rx for OTC for free so they don't have to use cigg money for meds

Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

They write scripts so Medicaid will pay for the Motrin. No copay.

frequent flyers go to ER (free) for treatment, food, phone, ride home.. And then rx for OTC for free so they don't have to use cigg money for meds

I have even had docs give pts a Rx for condoms, supposedly if you have a script you can get them for free with Medicaid

Specializes in ER.

Keep in mind this is a MTF (military treatment facility) so we have our own ambulance personnel etc. Ambulance personnel are ED techs.

A call comes in, it's a lady calling complaining of pain in her foot. When the ambulance arrives they discover she also has her 2 kids, so they come with the 2 kids. We're slammed so off to the waiting room she goes. She throws a huge hissy fit, blah blah blah. Bring her back. She's had the pain for 2 days. 10/10 pain. She can walk, no limp, no fall, no twist, nothing dropped on it etc. Tells dr it's worse than labor pains. Order an X-ray...her kids are running a muck in their half of the room (split to hold 2 pts) I felt sorry for the person next to her! X-ray is perfectly normal. Dr says nothing looks to be wrong. She goes on about how it hurts so bad yada yada. He says "well I'll give you Motrin 800. Go home & ice it." Then she goes "but I have my kids. I need something to ease the pain so I can function to help them." Trying to be fair & give her the benefit of the doubt he says he'll put in for Tylenol #3. She goes "That doesn't help me. I need a shot of fentanyl 50mcgs now and Percocet to take at home. That's what works for me." He said he could not do that as she had her kids a & b it wasn't warranted in the least bit. I suppose it was a last ditch effort or something but she finally says "Can you at least give me perks (her word usage!) to take at home? I snort them rather than take them by mouth this way it doesn't affect me & make me high."

Uhhhhh! So she got nothing! Her husband (her sponsor) got a call & family services was given a call. This is still a WHAT THE ACTUAL EFF!

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
Keep in mind this is a MTF (military treatment facility) so we have our own ambulance personnel etc. Ambulance personnel are ED techs.

A call comes in, it's a lady calling complaining of pain in her foot. When the ambulance arrives they discover she also has her 2 kids, so they come with the 2 kids. We're slammed so off to the waiting room she goes. She throws a huge hissy fit, blah blah blah. Bring her back. She's had the pain for 2 days. 10/10 pain. She can walk, no limp, no fall, no twist, nothing dropped on it etc. Tells dr it's worse than labor pains. Order an X-ray...her kids are running a muck in their half of the room (split to hold 2 pts) I felt sorry for the person next to her! X-ray is perfectly normal. Dr says nothing looks to be wrong. She goes on about how it hurts so bad yada yada. He says "well I'll give you Motrin 800. Go home & ice it." Then she goes "but I have my kids. I need something to ease the pain so I can function to help them." Trying to be fair & give her the benefit of the doubt he says he'll put in for Tylenol #3. She goes "That doesn't help me. I need a shot of fentanyl 50mcgs now and Percocet to take at home. That's what works for me." He said he could not do that as she had her kids a & b it wasn't warranted in the least bit. I suppose it was a last ditch effort or something but she finally says "Can you at least give me perks (her word usage!) to take at home? I snort them rather than take them by mouth this way it doesn't affect me & make me high."

Uhhhhh! So she got nothing! Her husband (her sponsor) got a call & family services was given a call. This is still a WHAT THE ACTUAL EFF!

That's CRAZY!!!!!!!

Anne, RNC

They write scripts so Medicaid will pay for the Motrin. No copay.

frequent flyers go to ER (free) for treatment, food, phone, ride home.. And then rx for OTC for free so they don't have to use cigg money for meds

I don't know where you got the idea there is no co-pay with Medicaid because there is.

Specializes in ER.
I don't know where you got the idea there is no co-pay with Medicaid because there is.

A lot of people with MediCAL not MediCARE/CAID do not have a copayment. I think they simply got them mixed up. Most on MediCal have zero copay.

I think it would depend on the state....

I don't know where you got the idea there is no co-pay with Medicaid because there is.

Well, here in Colorado there is a co pay for services and prescriptions in you have Medicaid.

I don't judge people who are on it like some people do. There's a saying I like to pass on to those who do-there but for the Grace of God go I.

It was simply in response to why doctors/PA/NP prescribe so much over the counter medications.

There are government funded/sponsored 'health plans' that have no copay's. Some do, some cost $1.. Others differ.

My insurance does not cover medications that are available over the counter.

Someone I knew dragged her three daughters to the ER on a city bus because one of them had what she called a "rash". This daughter wasn't having issues breathing or anything, she just had a flat slightly pink area on her arm. I told her she could just go to Walgreens and put some hydrocortisone cream on it. If it didn't improve, then take her to the ER. She said "I was a medic in the Navy, so I know more than you!" I simply shrugged as if to say "Suit yourself".

I haven't had any medical training per se, but my mom's been a nurse for 40 years or so, and I know some things about when to go to the ER or not. She came back with hydrocortisone cream, a large bill for the ER visit, and the suggestion that she take her to the urgent care next time for something like this. She was pretty angry at them and was mad at me,"Why didn't you tell me?" But, I did, she just didn't listen because she thought she knew better.

Specializes in ED, trauma.

I don't know where you got the idea there is no co-pay with Medicaid because there is.

There is a copay but most places don't bother to collect it because it causes more problems.

One example, ED visits are a $3 copay after MSE but only one hospital collects it. The other hospital does full work up and doesn't ask for copay. Guess who gets all the MDCD patients? Yes, I have seen it first hand. Patients say that's why they chose one hospital.

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