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 Tele, Home Health, MICU, CTICU, LTC.

During my EMS days I took a patient to the ER who had supposedly swallowed a small piece of a pork chop bone. She wasn't even sure if she had or not. No coughing, respiratory distress, or abdominal pain. When she got to the ER she asked for:

A pepsi, tapioca pudding, and a pap smear. I got a good laugh out of that one.

When she got to the ER she asked for:

A pepsi, tapioca pudding, and a pap smear. I got a good laugh out of that one.

:rotfl: In what order?? :rotfl:

You throw a LIVE snake into a freezer. That's mean! :stone

Here in Australia you HAVE to bring it in - in any condition you can. If they are live we throw them in a deep freezer until a herpetologist can correctly ID the snake. See a LOT of our snakes can only be accurately Id'd if you do a scale count including examining the anal scale - now I don't know about you but that is a closer relationship than I want to have with a live venomous snake:coollook:
Specializes in NICU.
You throw a LIVE snake into a freezer. That's mean! :stone

From what I understand it just makes them go to sleep. They're fine when they warm up.

One of our many frequent fliers came in one day (via EMS of course), hopped off the stretcher, and said, "I'm okay. I just needed a ride to the hospital for my doctor's appointment."

I'm tellin' ya, I worked ER as a corpsman 30 years ago, and it's like deja vu all over again hearing these stories--people using the ER as a convenience clinic, that is, because to call during the daytime and get an appointment in the appropriate clinic would disrupt their day.

But, hearing how you have to feed people nowadays--nope, I would never, ever do that. Ever. I don't care if they are homeless and hungry--there are other resources available. Especially when they manage to be able to afford cigarettes to go out in the ambulance bay area and smoke while hollering for their meal and snack trays and sodas. Hell with 'em, I'd say.

I feel like I am a burnt-out ER nurse just from READING these posts! I don't know how you folks put up with the nonsense! I'd go postal!

The first words out of half of patients with abdominal pain have to be, "Can I have something to eat?" And of course the hospital is all about patient satisfaction, so now we have a variety of meal trays delivered 3 times a day. Some of these patients even have the nerve to call dietary and order a special tray if they don't like what we have. We moved into a new ER about 2 years ago. All the rooms have TVs and phones. It's hard as hell to get some of these people to leave.

This is a bit off-topic, but what about family members who come and hang out with Mom or whoever is being tx'd, then ask the dr. for a work excuse for themselves ? Duh.

I'm so glad you said that. That drives me absolutely crazy. Forunately, our computer discharge system will only allow notes for the patient.

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

I used to date a herpetologist--putting a snake in the freezer is the way you humanely euthanize a snake, according to him. (can't check w/him now, he's deceased) The snake thinks it's winter, starts to hibernate, eventually dies. When he would set up an exhibit for a museum, he'd take the snake out of the freezer, vacuum-dry it (like freeze-dried coffee?); then he could put in a life-like position.

Anyway---WAY off-topic. I do enjoy these anecdotes, even tho I'm sure you all are ready to tear your hair out @ times.

I used to date a herpetologist--putting a snake in the freezer is the way you humanely euthanize a snake, according to him. (can't check w/him now, he's deceased) The snake thinks it's winter, starts to hibernate, eventually dies. When he would set up an exhibit for a museum, he'd take the snake out of the freezer, vacuum-dry it (like freeze-dried coffee?); then he could put in a life-like position.

Anyway---WAY off-topic. I do enjoy these anecdotes, even tho I'm sure you all are ready to tear your hair out @ times.

straying even further off topic but I had to chime in- while many herpetologists still think it's a humane way to euthanize, there has been some research in recent years suggesting that it's actually quite painful. Apparently the freezing process causes crystals to form in the brain before the animal dies, while it is still capable of feeling sensation. Ouch.

(Hubby & I used to have several reptiles- long story short, they got sick & had to be euthanized- we chose to have the vet do it in a more humane manner).

(Sorry to go OT even more, just didn't want anyone thinking the nicest known way to kill a snake was still to stick it in the freezer...)

Normally I would not have anything to add to one of these threads, but, just the other night a 20 something female came in because she cut a fingernail to short and it hurt.

She waited over 2 hours to be told to go home, there was nothing we would do for her. :rolleyes:

bob

Only 2 hrs in some of the er's I've worked at that would have been a 12-18 hr wait....

Well that is a nice and amazing question!!!

I recall an incident that happened with me...it was not rediculous but shocking...

A "women" presenting to ER because she want to take out 3 preservatives stuck in her lady parts since 4 days prior to her presentation. :rotfl:

Ha! & you talk about nails??? :angryfire

Well that is a nice and amazing question!!!

I recall an incident that happened with me...it was not rediculous but shocking...

A "women" presenting to ER because she want to take out 3 preservatives stuck in her lady parts since 4 days prior to her presentation. :rotfl:

Ha! & you talk about nails??? :angryfire

What was she trying to preserve?

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