What was the MOST ridiculous thing a patient came to the ER for?

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 ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
i worked in "grangegorman" psych hospital for a while while i was a 3rd year student. its one of the last psych institutions left in ireland and is soon to be closed down (thank god). for the weeks i was there, i'd often see an old women walking around the grounds alone. this place is huge and so so old (1815) and really eerie. anyhow, i asked my preceptor about the old women and it turns out she was involuntarily admitted when she was 16 ( she was 76 when i saw her) for having a baby out of wedlock. shes been there for 60 years....... it's the saddest thing ive ever seen. for years she was on all sorts of psych meds for absolutely nothing and developed all the epse's associated with older psych drugs. she's still there as she's so helplessly institutionalised. this is certainly not an isolated case over here. with the "special relationship" (those were actual words in our constitution until recent years) between the irish government and the catholic church this kind of thing was rampant, magdalene laundries etc..... isnt it absolutely disgusting? the sooner the better religions are done away with the better. its all but died over here now thank god. we still have the nuts (you'll get them everywhere but they have no power anymore). they certainly dont have the power the christian right in usa or theocratic governments in iran possess. anyhow, i guess i rambled a bit, but its certainly "a ridiculous thing" to be admitted for.

that's so tragic. when my grandfather was a very new lawyer, he was handed what was outlined as "a

nearly impossible case to win." despite that, he was expected to do his best although he was virtually assured of losing. this was in the 1920's. his client had been committed to a state hospital for the mentally ill at age 14, and now was in her upper seventies. she had never been off the hospital grounds in all those years. not. even. one. time. ever.

her nephew discovered he had another aunt that no one spoke of. he did some digging, found out where she was and began to visit her with his family. he petitioned the court to have her released to come and live with them.

her heinous crime? masturbation. she won and lived the rest of her life with her family.

stories like yours break my heart.

Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Pediatrics, Cath/EP.

A fake nail that came off and wanted it replaced with dermabond or one of our other sticky substances...

Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Pediatrics, Cath/EP.

A woman that was having abd pain came in and while she was there two of here family members asked me if the doctor could order her some anti-anxiety meds....eluding to valium, ativan etc... the reasoning being that her brother had died the day before and they hadn't told her yet and they were hoping we could pre-medicate her for the news. Long story short....the doc refused, they told her, she freaked out in a textbook case of status hispanicus and received haldol and versed....

Specializes in ER.
A fake nail that came off and wanted it replaced with dermabond or one of our other sticky substances...

Referral to Walmart for Crazy Glue.

Long story short....the doc refused, they told her, she freaked out in a textbook case of status hispanicus and received haldol and versed....

Status hispanicus. So stealing that.

Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

Status hispanicus. May not be PC, but hysterical as all get out! I love it!

I am not a latina, but i found it insulting....

Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

I guess it could be seen as such, but if you've ever witnessed the phenomenon, it's apropos, I assure you.

I guess it could be seen as such, but if you've ever witnessed the phenomenon, it's apropos, I assure you.

I have seen the "pheonmenon" that was referred to, it is the mocking of a cultural norm that i find insulting.

Specializes in ER/Home Care/Psych/MentalHealth/Teaching.

We had a young couple (15-16 yrs old) come into ER early one Sunday morning asking for a pregnancy test.

Our triage nurse asked, "And how far along do you think you are, Dear?

The girl said, "Fifteeen minutes." :clown:

In triage the other day. Registration came running to me saying this pt was having a seizure.

I run to the area this lady was sitting. The seizure pt greets with a, "hello..how are you." I then bring her into my triage booth per wheelchair.

NURSE: Ma'am, what's bring you to the ED today. **I begin taking her VS**

PT: I have been having seizures in my neck and my right arm for the past 2 days on and off. **Pt head immediately begins shaking back and forth violently...whilst looking at me**

NURSE: OK, are you having a seizure right now?

PT: "Yes", **Head still violently thrashing in my triage booth while talking to me** "but it is just my neck right now because you are taking my blood pressure"

NURSE: "So you are not having a seizure in your arm because of the BP cuff."

PT: "yes"

NURSE: "Ma'am, if you can control when this happens..why don"t you just not have one at all?"

I check in the computer what the MD orders on the pt, and I see a psych consult. LOL

Specializes in Emergency.

18 y/o male brought in by mom, c/o abd pain. They were at a buffet, he had "2 full plates of food and 2 big dishes of ice cream". Worst part? I actually had to put a line in this idiot so he could get zofran & pepcid. Best part? Pulling them out of the room into the hallway for a stroke.

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