Stupidest reason to go to ER

Published

ER Nurses/MD's etc.

I am currently writing a "paper" on stupidest reason for someone to come to ER.

ANY input you can send me would be much appreciated. IF you'd like a copy of the FINAL draft, let me know.

THANKS in advance!

PS. My winning entry so far is:

A woman who brought 1 month old baby in at 2:30 (AM of course) because "it won't look me in the eye, It doesn't recognize me!"

Not kidding

0400, male patient- "itching to groin area x1 week" and was leaving to go out of the country and did not "have time" to go to his PCP. Patient told it was not a medical emergency and to follow up w.his PCP or we could tx his "jock itch" for 150.00. Patient decided to go to his PCP!

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Specializes in ER.

A guy cam in for the hiccups (which he's had for 7 mos). I asked him what was different tonight and he said "they got worse"!

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Specializes in Rescue+Medic+ER ER ER ER.

Ex-wife/husband accuses ex-wife/husband of abuse of their child. When it is real, I'm there 100% for my patient. When we (the ER) are being used by these despicable people to gain leverage upon one another, I am appalled.

I even had a parent bring in a child PRIOR to a routine visitation "to be checked out in case she isn't right Sunday"....

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Specializes in Rescue+Medic+ER ER ER ER.

Did the pt want the thing removed or just change the batteries...

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Specializes in Emergency, Nursing Management, Auditing.

good to know i'm not the only one who gets the "i think i'm pregnant... i took a couple home tests but i didn't believe them"... so now you wanna pay like $1000 with your no insurance for a blood test? sweet! people like this keep me in business!

also i've had pts come in with the tiniest cuts or scratches, tetorifice UTD, they just want to pay a grand for a bandaid and some bacitracin i guess?

a father brought his kid in for a mild sunburn... wanted to ask if there was something we could put on it... how bout aloe? :uhoh21:

i love the middle of the night tooth pains as well

my personal fave is the girl that comes in for her narcs c/o headache every time... pull up her chart and there will be at least 6 visits in the past 2 weeks... dr. refuses to give her narcs and wants to do droperidol, she immediately rants about "being disrespected" and wants to leave AMA... lives in another city nearby with 3 hospitals yet drives half an hour out of the way to get her meds in the middle of the night... interesting

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Specializes in Peds, ER/Trauma.
good to know i'm not the only one who gets the "i think i'm pregnant... i took a couple home tests but i didn't believe them"... so now you wanna pay like $1000 with your no insurance for a blood test? sweet! people like this keep me in business!

But unfortunately, these are the type of people who most likely aren't going to pay their bill anyways.......

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Specializes in ER, NICU, NSY and some other stuff.

Had a pt the other night. Neck pain x 6 years.....

His new insurance had taken effect that day so he thought he would pop in and have it checked out.

At least he didn't come in per ems.

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Specializes in med/surg, rural, ER.

had someone come in by ambulance for verbal assault!!

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Specializes in ER.

And I thought it could not get better...

Parents bring a four year old after he almost swallowed a mosquito when playing in the park. And? The parents were convinced the kid might get West Nile.

I wanted to go home.

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Migraine via ambulance.

I work with a man who occasionally gets migraines that leave him completely incapacitated. One time, he DID go to the ER and I'm guessing he was on the verge of coughing up his toenails and his wife said, "Get in the car or I'm calling 911." I couldn't imagine him coming in under any other circumstances.

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my personal fave is the girl that comes in for her narcs c/o headache every time... pull up her chart and there will be at least 6 visits in the past 2 weeks... dr. refuses to give her narcs and wants to do droperidol, she immediately rants about "being disrespected" and wants to leave AMA... lives in another city nearby with 3 hospitals yet drives half an hour out of the way to get her meds in the middle of the night... interesting

When I worked in another city, there were several people that the ER wouldn't see for this exact reason, and they bothered people in other nearby cities.

God help them if they had a REAL problem.

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per ambulance...She wanted to be admitted to regular hospital room,not psych, so she could get a couple of days rest. Her kids were driving her crazy. Somehow I don't think it was the kids.

I have a relative by marriage who, when she was married to her first husband,would find a way to get admitted to the hospital, usually with a surgical diagnosis, at least once a year. I once asked our mutual relative if her ex-husband was a pervert and she did this to give him a legitimate excuse to not have sex (I have heard of people doing this) and I was told that she probably got more attention this way than she would have by going to a motel or spa.

After the divorce, her ex-husband had to pay the kids' medical bills, so she would do things like take them to the ER when a regular doctor would suffice, just to soak him. The kids want nothing to do with him, and nobody will tell me why, so it must be something really awful considering what she's like.

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