Seriously?!?!

"I don't want more drugs, I want answers" from a man clearly drug seeking, after his third ride to the ER in an ambulance in a week. Chest pain, flu symptoms, meth mouth... nightmare.

And I thought my psych patients were a hoot....

Yes, because it's so easy to just direct someone to rehab. I'm sorry, but dealing w/an addict is not that simple.

It's hard to get people into rehab. Most don't have insurance and are not at a point in their life when they want to quit anyways

"I was here 2 hours ago and they wouldnt give me pain meds so I stabbed myself. I'm in pain now." Obvious bleeding from abdomen.

Do......what?

It's hard to get people into rehab. Most don't have insurance and are not at a point in their life when they want to quit anyways

Exactly. If they're drug seeking in the ER, I doubt they're ready for rehab. Plus, it's soooooo difficult to get any sort of CD tx with or without insurance. But that's another thread...

Pt. holds arm out and states: "I want ativan right now, the other hospital gives it to me. You guys never do anything. You haven't even took my blood pressure yet"/

Me: "

Sir, I'm sorry but the doctor has not written an order for Ativan. However, I do need to get your blood pressure and other vital signs, this is what we do before people get discharged from the ED."

Pt: Gives me the death stare and starts saying words I cannot repeat due to TOS.

Why complain for it's never going to end throughout your whole career in the ER. My guess the man was a drug seeker. Instead of getting angry with him, someone should direct him to the closest rehab. We use to get "frequent fliers" up on the med/surg floor constantly. By this time, they were already admitted and the only thing we could do if feed them their addiction. I know, it's crazy, but I don't own the hospital, I just worked there.[/quote']

I don't know if this was in reference to my post but for the record neither if these pts was drug seeking, that is a whole 'nother issue.

I don't get it. I'm a little slow... Sorry.

When people come in with gnarly, nasty feet, it's called Walmart feet. I didn't make it up, I actually heard it first from a doctor. Maybe your Walmarts are nicer than ours, but it's common to see gnarly, nasty feet in Walmart (along with a host of other things that make me a Target shopper).

All great stories but you all are also describing the reason why our healthcare costs are soaring-because of wasteful, unnecessary, time-wasting, life-syphoning people who waste everyone's time, not to mention precious resources, on their frivilous and non-existent health emergencies. I don't work in the ER but I really feel for you all that do-I've only had the misfortune of sitting next to the "entourages" in the waiting room on a very few occasions-I can't imagine a steady diet of it!!

All great stories but you all are also describing the reason why our healthcare costs are soaring-because of wasteful unnecessary, time-wasting, life-syphoning people who waste everyone's time, not to mention precious resources, on their frivilous and non-existent health emergencies. I don't work in the ER but I really feel for you all that do-I've only had the misfortune of sitting next to the "entourages" in the waiting room on a very few occasions-I can't imagine a steady diet of it!![/quote']

Is a copay charged? There needs to be a way to give people incentives to go to the right level of care. I think my insurance has a $50 copay for emergency services if not admitted.

Lol brick wall sometimes. Large volume of non-ER posters. What draws people in to this specific forum?

Because we are very entertaining. I mean, in what other specialty will a co-worker say to you with a big smile, "i've got cpr in progress inbound, wanna come in and play?"