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 ?

Tonight I had a pt who twist his ankle, walks two blocks then call the ambulance. When he gets to me he says he can't stand and pivot due to 10/10 pain and can't scoot to the bed... So we slide him. MD comes in right away, does the whole assessment (no swelling/redness/evidence of any trauma). MD leaves and says I'll give you pain meds. As soon as he left pt asks to WALK to the bathroom. He gets up and walks without event a limp to the bathroom... I was so irritated. He got 650mg of Tylenol instead of the Norco originally ordered.

Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

About two weeks ago, my husband smacked his elbow while he was moving a metal baker's rack. A neighbor was helping him. We live in a Victorian-era house and only have archways or narrow doors. He came and showed it to me, which was dumb because his helper's day job was being an orthopedist!

Friend examined it and said to ice it and switch to heat in 48 hours. Exactly what I would have said! The next day, the mailman noticed how swollen his elbow was and asked whether he had gone to the ER. Later that evening, while walking the dog, a neighbor

asked what the ER had said, because it was, "broken and would heal funny if it were ignored."

When he was in the bank, the teller noticed what was by then a scab with the edema, and said very solicitously, "You know you could

lose the use of that whole arm if you don't get the swelling down." She offered to take him to the guess where?

I'm not being unsympathetic, but it was a very small cut and his elbow is not that puffy. Really? The Emergency Room? Why can't people get it through their thick skulls that that part of the hospital is for legitimately ill or more severe injured people? :speechless:

I'm not an unsympathetic, miserable, hard hearted person. Just a practical one. We had already had a specialist examine it right after

he bumped it (in our kitchen!) and instructions to let him know if it really ballooned up. Vent over.

Specializes in ER.

We had a fellow come in by ambulance, he was a homeless ETOHer who'd been calling the ambulance for some lame reason lately, and also wanting an ambulance ride to a town over 100 miles away where some relative lived. I entered his demand into the triage note and let the provider know, and he said "Oh is he back again!?" and there was probably a curse word uttered.

Specializes in ER.

Most ridiculous? Maybe the girl who came in because she hear her boyfriend was cheating on her, and she needed an STD screen, like, NOW. All she got was a referral to the county HD.

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.

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