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 ?

I had a pt come in for a mosquito bite. We put bacitracin on it and gauze/tape. The pt then wanted bacitracin/gauze/tape to take home. I couldn't believe it.

Another pt came in just for a pregnancy test. She peed in a cup, she wasn't pregnant have her d/c papers and that was that.

So far those two stick out in my mind but I'm a new grad, so I'm sure I'll have more to come....

I don't think any ER nurse (or any other specialty for that matter) would think that you didn't belong in the ER. I am a firm believer that we are there to help those in need...if you have never had a stone, then you many not understand, but you NEED help at that time. Those patients (like you) who present to the ER with a REAL need for help is why I (and hopefully most) are in the profession. I would take care of you anytime....

A friend visited ED cause he couldn't sleep.:woot:

Specializes in Emergency.

I had a patient just the other night bring a welcome mat and put it at the entrance of the room. Not even kidding.

I totally believe that, Lala!

Specializes in ICU.

Healthy 25 yr old male: " I fell asleep in front of the air conditioner and now my arm hurts."

the wimpiest people in the world live in Pennsylvania.

Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
Healthy 25 yr old male: " I fell asleep in front of the air conditioner and now my arm hurts."

the wimpiest people in the world live in Pennsylvania.

Really? How would you like to experience a PE with pleuritic pain, an MI, fibromyalgia, kidney failure, double pneumonia, septicemia, CHF, and giving birth without any medications like this person who lives in Pennsylvania? You are making a bit of a generalized statement, don't you think?
Really? How would you like to experience a PE with pleuritic pain, an MI, fibromyalgia, kidney failure, double pneumonia, septicemia, CHF, and giving birth without any medications like this person who lives in Pennsylvania? You are making a bit of a generalized statement, don't you think?

Air conditioners can cause all that? Dang.

Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
:roflmao: You would be surprised. Thank you for asking. :D

Several weeks ago, our three year old daughter got sick. She ran a fever of 103-104.5 for four days. Took her to the doctor after the first 24 hours, they did a rapid strep and strep culture---both negative. Fever continued for two more days. Poor girl wouldn't eat, drink, or anything. She was lethargic and pretty much just out of it. Dr's office kept telling me "It's a virus, let it run its course". Finally, after three days of this, we took her back to the doctor. They did another rapid strep, negative. They did bloodwork. The doctor came rushing in, the labwork showed that our daughter had NO neutrophils and that some of her WBC components were at a critical low level. We rushed off to the local children's ER with her. I was panicking, thinking the poor baby had leukemia or meningitis or something horrible. We get to the ER, the Motrin from the doctor's office had finally started working, temp was 99, she was feeling better but still lethargic and somewhat not her normal self. They do a rapid strep, negative. Chest x-ray and tons of bloodwork. They then did another strep culture. She had walking pneumonia and a throat infection. CBC from the hospital was COMPLETELY NORMAL....3 days later, the strep culture from the hospital came back showing she also had strep throat. We had to re-start a completely different antibiotic.

I ended up calling the doctor's office the next day, furious. I demanded to know why my daughter's bloodwork showed critical lows but the one at the hospital was completely normal. The nurse manager called me back and said "Oh, our CBC machine doesn't test for those levels. I thought the doctor knew that"....ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! :mad:

I felt like an IDIOT for taking my daughter to the ER, thinking she had leukemia or menigitis, when she really had walking pneumonia and strep! All because the doctor's office screwed up big time!

That is just crazy! I know people who use the ER as a drs office because they don't have insurance but sometimes I wonder if people have any common sense!

It amazes me the things people go to the ER for, don't they realize how expensive it is. Unfortunately I am guessing a lot of them don't pay for it.

Hi new to the board, but had to add mine too.

1. Fresh Mesquito bite by ambulance(mom thought the child got West Nile)

2. Sunburn( yes it had been quite a bad sunburn....TWO WEEKS BEFORE)

3. Adult "toy" in an oriface and still running like the energizer bunny

4. 11 y/o that whooped up on three big male nurses for a scratch on her leg.

MOM was acting like the child had amputated her leg. Had AT LEAST a whole

roll of kerlix on it. Found out the wound was three days old an she needed

LORTAB for it

Tons more but those are some of the better ones

Steph

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