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 ?

Specializes in ED-CEN/PACU/Flight.
II had a fever of 103.8 30 mins after I took Tylenol

Seeing that you were 3 weeks PP, you did the right thing in going in to be seen. The staff would not consider you a pest or imposition. That's an urgent problem.

I felt bad taking up a bed for 5 hours with something stupid and not an emergency, a breast infection. My OB had told me that I should have been offered a breast pump

Again, that was not a stupid problem - it was a truly urgent condition. So don't beat yourself up over it or feel bad. We would've considered you a "real" patient!

However, that being said - the comment from your OB/GYN about how the ER should've offered you a breast pump... WTH? It's an ER, not a birthing center, and we don't stock breast pumps. Obviously that MD has never worked ER a day in his/her life, LOL!

If I was your nurse, I would've offered you some ice packs, but that's about as much as you could've had done for *that* particular problem... It just makes me hurt for you and WITH you, as it takes me back to the days I had similar problems.

Glad you can post about it!

I know the first time was definetly an emergency, especially considering my temp went up after I took the Tylenol, so I knew I was in trouble. My husband was freaking that I was going to have a seizure or something due to my temp. He said later if my temp had gone down after I took the Tylenol, he wouldn't have taken me to the ER(he's an idiot, and that and with my gallbladder problems, before they figured out what it was, he said repeatedly that I wasn't really sick and it was 'all in my head.' Our divorce will be finalized on Sept 7 for different reasons, but let's just say I'm not sad to get rid of him.) I knew it was a real emergency before we even left home for the ER and considering I was taken straight back from triage and they had sent everyone before me back to the waiting room, I knew they considered it a true emegency as well. I just felt bad that it took so long for them to figure out what was wrong with me, as I said I was not showing any of the normal signs of mastitis until I actually got home from the ER. The second time, which actually happened at 7 weeks pp(as I said I was tired last night and couldn't think straight), I knew what I had, my fever was well controlled with Tylenol, and never went above 102 and I didn't think it was that serious and that I could wait for an appointment with my doctor. Had I know how bad it was going to be by the time the dr saw me I would have drug my sick self to the ER. My husband was asleep because he worked nights, and I knew he couldn't take another day off. We worked at the same place and they were already mad that I had taken off a month for bedrest( for PIH, not that I really had a choice on that) and then had the nerve to take off 7 weeks after I had my son(I was returning to work in 2 days when I got mastitis again, and yes I went back to work 2 days later sick and in pain), so they were taking it out on my husband. I also really didn't want to take my 7 week old son with me to the ER since the last thing I needed would be for him to catch something(and lets face it, almost any illness at that age is serious) and end up sick. They ended up taking pity on me and gave me Tylenol 3(or something like that that was safe for me to take while nursing) for pain management, and I think I took it all of once for pain.

Also, the breast pump thing, my doctor knew the ER could offer breast pumps(I'm assuming borrowed from a diff part of the hospital, prolly NICU, since they have a lvl 2 on site) since she had had twins less than a year before and one of her daughters was sick and in the ER and they lent her a breastpump to use while she waited with her daughter. I'm assuming they weren't very busy when she was in there with her daughter. As I said, it wasn't a big deal, the only real issue I had was that I was already shivering from the fever, the cold(to me, but vital to help get my temp down) IV fluid they were pumping in me(which only make my milk production increase and my leaking worse) and the milk soaked gown(and the entire front was completely soaked and there was a giant puddle of it that I was laying on in the bed) only made me shiver more. I spent most of the stay huddled under the blanket on the bed.

As I said I know they were really busy, with real emergencies due to it being a very rainy, cold(for Oct in Dallas, TX, so not actually THAT cold) Fri night and were dealing with multiple MVCs and other 'normal' emergencies and were packed way beyond capacity. There was also a nasty viral infection(that produced flu-like symptoms) that was flying around at the time so that only made it even more packed. They told me I could only have my son back with me if I was moved to a private room but that it most likely would not happen(and it didn't, not that I cared.) Leaking breasts are certainly not an emergency and I would rather they take care of their patients emergency issues/complaints than give a thought about my breasts leaking. When my OB said they should have offered me a pump, I just shrugged and told her it was no big deal, they were really busy and my breasts leaking were the least of my(or anyone elses for that matter) problems to say the least. The nurses and the doctors were way too busy with everything to worry about anything that wasn't fatal, they had at least one patient who was randomly and repeatedly coding for no obvious reason, so that alone was keeping them rather busy.

The gallbladder thing was more about me not having insurance, not coming close to qualifying for medicaid(we were poor, but not poor enough, and besides you had to be pregnant to qualify), or the money to pay for an ER bill. I refused to abuse the system and end up with a medical bill that I couldn't pay unless they let me work out a payment plan over several years. I did go to see my primary care doc(and spent most of the time waiting in the bathroom retching and dry heaving, which was another reason I really didn't want to go to the ER, I was just miserable) who couldn't really do much because I didn't have insurance and she knew my husband and I couldn't afford a huge medical bill(she had been our doctor for over 5 years at that point and knew our financial situation was bad if I didn't have insurance), so she gave me anti nausea meds, assumed I just had the 'stomach flu'(her words not mine) and told me to go to the drug store and buy a pregnancy test to make sure I wasn't pregnant. My IUD made me have a period about every 6 months, so I had had my last period in March and it was now July. It was also cheaper for me to go buy a pregnancy test that it would be for her to administer one in her office. It was a logical assumption that I could have been pregnant, afterall, I was 25, married, and already had one child, who was 18 months at the time and hadn't had a period in 4 months, even though that was normal with the IUD.

It just bugs me when people abuse the system, I understand having a true emergency and going in without being able to pay, that is why the law was put in place for situation like that, but to go in knowing you can't afford it with something that isn't anywhere close to an emergency really makes me mad. Actually, even if you can afford the bill you still shouldn't go to the ER with anything that isn't really an emergency.

Taryn

Had A Pt Arrive Via Med Star For A Pimple "a Growth In Pt's Words" The Doc Told Pt To Wash With Soap And Water. Of Course Tons Of Pregnacy Test Then Want To Go Ama When Told The Result. My Favorite Lmp Was 6-17 And It Was 7-03 Stated "i Am Pregant And Having Pain " Got Test Results And Vanished. Always A Fun Night By The The Pimple Pt Had Spent 9 Hours Inthe Ed Waiting To Be Seen.

Pt comes in at 6pm left without being seen at 800. Returns at 0100 reason

PT: "My son has a sore throat he saw the doctor and they did a strep test it was negative but I thought I should be checked"

Nurse: do you have a sore throat now?.

Pt: "no but I could tomorrow. Also they say at 40 you should have your prostate checked so you think I can have that"???

Nurse : are you having any problems peeing like frequent voiding having to void at night?

Pt: No but I should have it checked out anyway I think just in case.

ackkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk:D

Specializes in Corrections, neurology, dialysis.
Had A Pt Arrive Via Med Star For A Pimple "a Growth In Pt's Words" The Doc Told Pt To Wash With Soap And Water. Of Course Tons Of Pregnacy Test Then Want To Go Ama When Told The Result. My Favorite Lmp Was 6-17 And It Was 7-03 Stated "i Am Pregant And Having Pain " Got Test Results And Vanished. Always A Fun Night By The The Pimple Pt Had Spent 9 Hours Inthe Ed Waiting To Be Seen.

So do they go AMA when the results are negative or do they go when the results are positive? Or does it matter what the result is? Maybe I'm too creative but by your post it made me think that they left if the result was one or the other.

Specializes in pure and simple psych.

I think it ment that all the Pt wanted was the result. Got it and left. Cheaper than buying one in the drugstore???

I had a good one this week. A woman brought her 4 week old child in for a "hole in his head" It was the soft spot. The part I found most disturbing was that it took her 4 weeks to find it.

Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

Had a real winner the other day. Patient presented with foot pain. "they don't look right".

DURATION: A while now.

PRIOR TREATMENT: None

ANY CHANGE: No, nothing I can't handle.

DO YOU HAVE A DOCTOR: Yep, see him every year or two

WHY: You folks have a 30 minute ER guarantee (seen by ED doc or treatment started in 30 minutes/less or the hospital sends 2 movies tickets, NO JOKE!)

INJURY: NO, just concerned.

DX: Bilateral BUNIONS

;) ;) ;) ;) ;) :) I DO LOVE MY JOB!

Specializes in pure and simple psych.
You folks have a 30 minute ER guarantee (seen by ED doc or treatment started in 30 minutes/less or the hospital sends 2 movies tickets, NO JOKE!)quote]

OH, Pleeease! That's putting you on a par w/pizza delivery!!:angryfire :angryfire

Specializes in Emergency Nursing.
We were so busy the other night 3 people in the wairing room eloped all at the same time with their very minor maladies, went across the street and called 9-1-1.

They were all taken off stretchers and sent out to the triage desk to sign in, and were followed by a police officer who gave them all citations for abusing EMS

What a wonderful story!! It makes my heart sing!!!!:lol2:

Specializes in Peds.
i had a good one this week. a woman brought her 4 week old child in for a "hole in his head" it was the soft spot. the part i found most disturbing was that it took her 4 weeks to find it.

omg.... that is scary....... :eek:

i barely got pimples when i was 15. so one morning when i woke up with what seemed like a million of them on my face, my bf rushed me to er... just to be told that i have chicken pox and there was nothing that could be done for me.

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