Faking It

sunnygirl272 · Feb 20, 2003

Originally posted by Stargazer
W. T. F.?????

The doc's never heard of stool softener?

nag...farg the Fibercon and Proctofoam....PCAs for everyone who is bound up....

l.rae · Feb 20, 2003

l can understand why ppl w/ valid illnesses can raise eyebrows at topics like these.....but you first must understand...#1, we attempt to treat these ppl regardless of our inclinations...they ARE given the benefit of the doubt....#2 there is rarely any documented medical history of anything r/t sx's. #3 these ppl ALWAYS get worse with an audience..especially the family/friends they are attempting to manipulate.....#4these ppl NEVER look ill or truley distressed....let me give you 2 examples

1. young girl 16yo arrives via emt "unresponsive" with sz-like activity....brought from a high school football game....friends state she only had a coke which they wittnessed her open the can herself.....except for the fact she won't respond, she looks great....(parents can especially appreciate this cause you know kids look like crap when they are sick). Eyes open and close, limbs jerking....much worse when juvenile tearful friends in the room. MD comes in room, holds open her eyelid and BINGO....eye contact....MD turns around, rolls eyes, and orders all obligatory tests....drug screen clean, ct neg.......funny thing though, when she first came in l told another nurse in room my bets were on FWB syndrome..(Fight With Boyfriend).....long story short......l was right.

2.Migrant worker , non-English speaking presents with interpreter stating joints of upper extrematies painful, difficult to move hands, finger...they are contracted...l try to extend fingers and pt winces...doesn't seem overtly ill...but suspect of seeking just doesn't feel right....can't quite put my finger on it, the only impression l am left with is that something is unusual about this situation......turns out, this guy has tetorifice....in my 22 yrs nursing l have NEVER personally seen tetorifice...he goes to ICU

Personally, l think experienced nurses have a good sixth sense about pt's.....but l have seen some incompassionate doozies...they are out there.

cactus wren · Feb 20, 2003

WOW !! L.rae...did he make it??/I have never seen tetnus,either

and agree...gut feelings are often right on the money

yannadey, LPN · Feb 20, 2003

the other night had a seizure faker I gave her the call light & told her call when it was over, she took the button asked me if I'm going to call the doctor told her no the doctor will be coming in the morning she wanted to know what time then she said "I guess I'll wait till then to have my seizure all I could say was yep that would be the perfect time of course I did give the doctor & on coming nurse a heads up on what to expect. I was told the following night about the oscar worthy performance they received

deespoohbear · Feb 20, 2003

Originally posted by regnursein99
We once found him laying on the floor in his room, rolling around and jerking. (He weighed over 350#...this was a real sight) A verteran RN on our floor had dealt w him many times and just yelled, "LOU! LOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!!" He honestly STOPPED the "seizure" looked up and said, "I am having a seizure!" and promptly started flipping around on the floor again! :roll

OMG!!! That is too funny!! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

What did the nurse say back to him?

l.rae · Feb 20, 2003

Originally posted by cactus wren
WOW !! L.rae...did he make it??/I have never seen tetnus,either

and agree...gut feelings are often right on the money

as far as l know, he did make it..... but l don't know how he fared in the long run...from my limited experience, those that live usually end up in LTC....kind of tend to loose track of them when working ER......

and want to add, that those reading this thread who have legit dse......surely you can see you are a world apart from the "acadamy" winners discussed here.:kiss

l.rae · Feb 20, 2003

Originally posted by yannadey
the other night had a seizure faker I gave her the call light & told her call when it was over, she took the button asked me if I'm going to call the doctor told her no the doctor will be coming in the morning she wanted to know what time then she said "I guess I'll wait till then to have my seizure all I could say was yep that would be the perfect time of course I did give the doctor & on coming nurse a heads up on what to expect. I was told the following night about the oscar worthy performance they received

l should have posted this comment on the mantra thread........"STUPIDITY IS MY JOB SECURITY"......gets me thru the day with pts like this;)

Mimi Wheeze · Feb 20, 2003

Oh, Pappy, that just sucks. I'm so sorry your career was cut short and you can't even hold your grandbaby. I've lurked on this site for a long time, and I have always admired you. (and your posts :chuckle) Hang in there!

AI YI YI! I'm a nursing student whose head just spins while reading some of these posts. On one hand you have fakers, on the other hand you have debilitating illnesses like Pappy's. How on earth will I ever gain the wisdom to tell the difference? :eek:

Another thing.. why on earth would anybody who wants attention fake their way into a hospital of all places? Let's face it, there are easier and less painful and expensive ways just to get attention. :confused:

tattooednursie, LVN · Feb 20, 2003

I have a resident in the LTC that banged her hands against the wall saying "SEIZURE! SEIZURE!" I think it was a temper tantrum! lol

Once with my job on the fire crew I was at a fire training and I put on an SCBA tank to enter a burning house. I had a panic attack while I was in there. Acording to the medical personnel standing by that escorted me to safety, and took my vitals . . . my vitals were BP 230/100 P 120 I forgot what the resperations were . . . and my O2 stat was like 80 something, and I blacked out and started shaking really bad. I think it was probably a pettit mall seizure . . . and ya know what, I don't remember doing that! No one can say seizure while they are having a seizure . . . its just like one of natures laws!

bagladyrn, RN · Feb 20, 2003

Had a psych pt. admitted to our unit one time (hearing impaired psych) as deaf with amnesia. After several days, nursing staff was reporting that this individual was hearing (always hanging out at the nursing station when we were discussing "juicy" topics with our back to him). Finally after 2 weeks, fingerprints were obtained and run. Turns out he was an escaped prisoner from a nearby jail, who had a deaf sister (knew some sign) and had found a perfect place to hide out!

RN-PA, RN · Feb 20, 2003

Last week we had a patient who's a frequent flyer admitted with exacerbation of Asthma. The day shift nurse was giving me report when the pt's Pulmonologist showed up. While auscultating lungs, both the doc and nurse said they noticed the patient making wheeze sounds in her throat on inspiration AND expiration, and with asthma, the wheezes are heard only on expiration. The Dr. just rolled his eyes and said, "What can ya do? You aren't sure if it might not be stridor." I say, get a psych consult.

We also get prisoners from time to time, and I had one admitted with abdominal pain. He went through all kinds of tests and when it looked like they were getting ready to discharge him, he started complaining about excruciating tooth pain. In the meantime, he was getting all the sodas, juice, ice cream etc, he wanted, his girlfriend visited constantly, and TV in bed 24 hrs/day.

We also get a frequent flyer who comes in with abd. pain and claims of bloody diarrhea at home. They never find anything wrong, but she's out at the nurse's station whenever her Demerol is due.

Of course we treat them all in a respectful, non-judgemental way, but I don't understand doctors who continually enable this behavior.

NURS4GOD · Feb 20, 2003

I worked with a miraculous neurologist once who "induced" a "seizure" by massaging the "SEIZURE NERVES" located on the back of her neck with 15 alcohol prep pads!!!!!!!!! She was told that he would try to induce this seizure by this special massage and within a few seconds, she was in full "seizure". I tried so hard not to laugh in front of her! When we were done, the doc walked out and said "Isn't modern medicine a miracle? DISCHARGE HER!"

Becky