Over my seven years in orthopedics, I run into a patient every now and then who has done something so stupid that I might be tempted to make fun of them...if only their action hadn't ruined the rest of their life. Numerous examples spring to mind -- the 24-year-old man who was playing "chicken" on a snowmobile and lost his right arm. The chronic alcoholic who decided it was a good idea to try operating a chainsaw while drunk, and came close to losing his arm. The young IV drug user who shot up with saliva rather than water, and now can't figure out why he might have endocarditis.
My (un)favorite was the lady whose friend told her that her PEG tube looked infected. Rather than come to the ED, she cut it off close to the skin with scissors. She gave herself an air embolus, which resulted in a stroke and the loss of half her body function. She's bedridden, dependent and aphasic, and only in her 50's.
I can't figure out why people do this to themselves. I'm sure the rest of you all have had patients like this more than once. How did you handle it?
Skipping Lasix so you won't have to make so many potty stops during a 7-hour car trip--great idea! I'd rather stop every half hour than end up spending 4 days in the hospital and 2 months in a SNF 7 hours away from home, but that's just me.
But then again, when I think of most every minor injury I've had, it was doing something stupid. Even ankle sprains, should have watched where I was going. I'm just lucky that I've stayed away from giant tools of destruction.
I broke my left fibula (weber C ankle fracture) and sprained my right ankle at the same time. I honestly walked on the broken leg for 5 days before I realized I had really, really screwed it up. I thought since I twisted my ankle that I had pulled a tendon or ligament. I did this by chasing my three year old and missing the last step on the deck. I have had plenty of other ankle sprains, and a separated shoulder from lifting a pt.
Good lord I have avoided breaking any bones except for the broken leg in February.
40ish male patient decided to pull out an abscesses tooth with a pair of channel lock pliers instead of go to the dentist.... End up with a pocket of pus on his brain (forgot the name of it)
Nocardia, maybe?
I took care of a patient once that got mad at his boss and kicked a semi-temporary building called a con-ex - sort of like a big steel tent, to simplify it, that sits on a concrete foundation. Needless to say, he broke his foot in two places and needed surgery.
As a nurse I should know better, but I was taking the motorcycle safety and training course and--you guessed it--I wrecked. My mind abandoned ship when I realized I was going left and not straight (first time getting up enough speed to actually pick my feet off the ground) and the bike went down, I went down and over it, landing on my right side and rolling. Severe road rash on my right side, knee, and scapula; sprained right knee, ankle/foot; bruised elbow. Could have been much worse but I'm still missing several square inches of skin.
How about the asthma pt who continuously complains that the meds aren't working--as you see the cloud of cigarette smoke circling them. But they tell you they don't smoke as you see the outline of their Zippo lighter in their pocket.
.thumb.gif.09f7460d3e1ff8d6732564d77b5465cb.gif){kind=avatar}
CaitlynRNBSN
101 Posts
The patient who went out for Chinese buffet dinner and took a couple extra Lasix (more than a couple maybe?). Came in with severe hypokalemia.