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 Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.
Great thread! I have seen:

-I was watching Diagnosis X..... Well, you might have some rare condition. My teeny ER doesn't happen to have the one doc on the east coast that specializes in that working tonight. Sorry.

-The umbilical cord dropped off.

-'I had a scratch a few weeks ago. I don't remember when my last tetorifice was. I've been waiting 30 minutes, why can't the doc just see me quick? This is why I would never come to this place for a real emergency.' Ummm.... he's arranging an airlift.

-Yeast infection.

-30 minutes after triage, presenting complaint of 'baby spits up'. The parents announce they are leaving now- 'We've waited too long and the ped is back from lunch...."

-I took the smiling Bob pill, got a headache, just want to make sure it's ok to proceed as planned.

-I got this letter a couple of days ago so I want to make sure my child doesn't have lice. He didn't.

-Sunburn. Not even pink.

-Sunburn, fairly bad a week ago, healing now.

-Saw the doc two hours ago, took a pill 30 minutes PTA, no better.

-Overheard a stranger at the store talking about 'the mursia'. Wants a 'salve in case it's catching'.

-Had a fever/threw up/had an itch/ etc. yesterday. Resolved now.

-A pt brought in by EMS after a minor fender-bender. No damage to either vehicle. Pt refused repeatedly a c-collar or backboard and even signed the paper. Refused again at the ER. Refused the soft-collar at D/C even though we never mentioned one and it wasn't ordered. Also stated to the doc upon initial assessment- 'I just need documentation in case I sue for whiplash.' Good luck with that!

-Elderly pt, family in for the yearly visit. They brought pt to the ER and dropped the pt off! Pt states to me "I don't know why the beep I'm here."

People are interesting, that's for sure.

:lol2:

those two sounds like pts i have at least once a shift, oh lord u made me laugh till i cried with that lol thanks!:yeah:

Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.
In the ER was a guy who came in saying he had " groin pain" he acted very peculiar and it was hard to get a history and definitive c/c. Said he could only talk to the male doc. So when we finally get him in the back, I try to talk to him and explain to him i work for a fire dept as well and I work with all men and I am very understanding....come to find out, he came to the ER cause he had masterbated earlier in the day and now " can't get it up" for his wife who would be coming home and wanted sex. He said if she found out he had masterbated she would kick him out and divorce him so it was easier to come into the ER and complain something was wrong.

For all the BS that came into the ER, some of them were miraculously healed after a nice 8 and 12 hour theraputic wait :)

:lol2::yeah: thats hilarious, thanks for that i needed something to put me in a better mood

Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.

good for you, you caught on quick! lol

A few yrs back had a 32 yr old female arrive by EMS... she walks off the rig through our doors holding her fingers to her carotid "I have no pulse" and denies any other complaints. Ems giggling and shaking their heads.

Triage-------------->

Toq

Years ago when I was working in another city, I got a patient from the ER with the admitting diagnosis of "decubitus ulcer." Now I thought that was mighty strange until I actually saw the patient. He had a decub all right -- the exact size, shape and depth of a toilet seat.

When asked how he got a pressure sore like that, he said he'd been sitting on the toilet for four days and four nights.

"Why were you sitting there for so long?"

"Looking for God."

He had multiple surgerys and months of antibiotics -- he was still there a year later when I changed jobs!

Silly guy...everyone knows you find God in prison, not on the toilet.

I had a woman come to the ED by EMS for feeling "hot" not feverish just hot.

EMS informed me that the woman had her heat turned up in her house to somewhere in the 80s.

It was summer time in North Carolina.

I guess the EMS crew tried to explain to her that she felt hot because her house was like an oven. She didnt belive them and came in anyway.

Specializes in ER, L&D, PICC team.

A mother brought in her 11 year old daughter with c/o "lump" and pain around her nipple.....duh? DX: Breast Buds!

Specializes in Emergency / Trauma.

had a lady come in thru triage complaining of a pimple !!! :)

what did she want me to do, pop it? :uhoh3:

Specializes in ER.

Just yesterday I had a girl come in c/o itching after shaving......with rubbing alcohol. WT???

Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
just yesterday i had a girl come in c/o itching after shaving......with rubbing alcohol. wt???

:eek: :eek: :eek: ouchie! :eek: :eek: :eek:

kathy

shar pei mom:paw::paw:

Specializes in MedSurg.

When I worked nightshift there was many times I thought about renting a van and going down to the ER and asking all of those that was constipated, thought they was pregnant, and had a fever of 99 degrees to raise their hands. I was going to offer to take them to Walmart and help them get the items required to solve their medical issues and save some money:)

I work night shift in the ED. At about 1AM woman and her husband came in to walk in triage with the wife complaining of urinary retention. Our usual procedure with ambulatory patients is to give them a gown and specimen cup and ask them to change into a gown and provide a urine sample. When I reached my patient, she was sitting in bed in her gown and she handed me a specimen cup with about 45 ml of clear yellow urine in it. When asked what she was here for she repeated "urinary retention." I asked if the urine in the cup she just handed me was hers. She assured me that it was. I then asked when she had last been able to urinate. She said, "8PM."

Now, I'm not sure about you, but I've gone much, much longer than 5 hours without peeing. Also, I'm pretty sure that the urine specimen she handed me proved she was not actually suffering from urinary retention. To be thorough, I continued interviewing and assessing the patient who gave details consistent with a possible UTI (feeling of having to urinate with not much urine actually being produced, some mild lower abdominal pressure / pain, and burning with urination). I explained that she may possibly have a UTI and sent her urine to the lab. The husband proceeded to tell me that he was pretty sure she as having urinary retention and that he wanted me to "insert a tube to drain it out." I explained that 1). I didn't think a foley was indicated as she is obviously able to produce urine as evidenced by the urine sample she handed me and 2). I can't insert a foley without a doctor's order anyway.

So... they eloped before seeing a doctor.

+ Add a Comment