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 hospice.
Wow - 10 years and this post still thrives!

That's gotta be a record.....admin?

Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.

I just love when I see 'PAIN OTHER' as the CC, because it's either going to be really good ("I have a ben-wa ball in my lady parts and it's pinching but I can't get it out," "I think I broke my member," etc.) or a complete waste of my time ("I just don't feel right," "It hurts a lot when I bend my fingers all the way back.").

Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
I just love when I see 'PAIN OTHER' as the CC, because it's either going to be really good ("I have a ben-wa ball in my lady parts and it's pinching but I can't get it out," "I think I broke my member," etc.) or a complete waste of my time ("I just don't feel right," "It hurts a lot when I bend my fingers all the way back.").

I love the cc of "sick" and then it is like pulling teeth to get them to elaborate.

Specializes in Nasty sammiches and Dilaudid.
I love the cc of "sick" and then it is like pulling teeth to get them to elaborate.

It's hard to get a good history on those pt's since that phrase is usually triage-speak for "there's something in the pt's rectum that came in through the "out" door... ;)

Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
It's hard to get a good history on those pt's since that phrase is usually triage-speak for "there's something in the pt's rectum that came in through the "out" door... ;)

Or in my ER, "I am homeless and just need a place to sleep"

Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.
I just love when I see 'PAIN OTHER' as the CC, because it's either going to be really good ("I have a ben-wa ball in my lady parts and it's pinching but I can't get it out," "I think I broke my member," etc.) or a complete waste of my time ("I just don't feel right," "It hurts a lot when I bend my fingers all the way back.").

In my ER registration usually goes one of two ways: they put CC "Other" when the pt has a mile long list of symptoms, or some of them type what the pt says word for word as the complaint I.e. "feels like peeing razor blades and head is about to explode". Makes me want to scream lol

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
I love the cc of "sick" and then it is like pulling teeth to get them to elaborate.

Patients will write something lengthy for their CC on the sign in form. Our registration clerks will now list their CC on the computerized board as "multiple complaints" or "generalized issues." Drives me nuts.

Specializes in ER.
Triaged as "DOES NOT WANT TO GO TO JAIL"

We got a kick out of that.

Apparently, arrestee's make up bogus excuses all the time to try to get out of jail-time.

LoL ... awesome.

Specializes in ER.
Patients will write something lengthy for their CC on the sign in form. Our registration clerks will now list their CC on the computerized board as "multiple complaints" or "generalized issues." Drives me nuts.

I think they should just shorten it to "Issues" :-)

Specializes in ER.
As a matter of fact, in the wee hours of Monday morning, I woke up with severe pain on my left side front and back and radiating down my groin. I also had alot of pressure to urinate but when I tried could only void a very small amount. Also had vomiting and nausea.

Well, the pain would not subside. Any Tylenol I tried to take for it was vomited up.

Finally after 3 hours of this, I dragged my aching body to the car and drove down to the ER at 4:30 in the morning. I could not understand what could be causing the pain and was, understandably, afraid.

There was blood in my urine and they did a catscan, but the nurses had already figured out I had a kidney stone ("doing the kidney stone dance").

They put an IV in me for fluid and pain medicine and when I was awake enough let me go home with vicodin and suppositories for nausea and vomiting. Doc instructed me to see a urologist in the next couple days.

I hope the ER staff didn't think me coming down with a KS was silly. I live alone and just have myself to depend on. They sure did help me out - the pain was unbearable.

Just a little anecdotal story.

Kidney stone patients are legit. I would never get mad at a patient for showing up in horrible pain with blood in their urine and uncontrolled nausea and vomiting. If they didn't follow up then I would be disappointed. But geez... kidney stones suck! And N and V suck and severe pee pee pain really sucks!

Hope it doesn't happen again to you !

Specializes in ER.

We got a recent pt who came in by ambulance. She was an older woman, lived with her adult son, apparently quite the control freak. He didn't come home at night, he was likely on a hot date. Mom was mad, so to teach him a lesson, she called the ambulance so that she wouldn't be there when he finally arrived home.

Just recently we had a patient come into our ED with complaints of toe pain.... the toe had been hurting for 2 years!! :sarcastic:

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