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 ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

softball at the end of a sock?

DOB?

Pink bag???

Huh??

tooooooootally lost! and way too many replies to dig back!

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
well, it could be worse. I think some of my patients dont own a bra. You know the softball at the end of socks kind of look. Very popular here in Kentucky!:nurse:

I like nice ones, thank god I dont live there

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
along with a young lady sent in by her husband because she was mad and yelling at him. unofficial dx was pms. he wanted a psych eval on her. released without a psych eval. occured last night.

this seems to be a fairly common thing -- my father did that to my mother one time. took her to the er and asked for a psych eval because she was screaming at him -- nevermind that she'd just found out the sob was cheating on her! my mother turned it around on him -- she told the psych resident she knew she needed to be admitted -- she must be crazy to keep supporting the a$$ when he was cheating on her! dad was furious with her for telling strangers about their "family issues." i love my parents, and they're still together, but i'm convinced that living with my father must cause mental problems!

Specializes in Peds ED, Peds Stem Cell Transplant, Peds.
Originally Posted by nurse-ratched

1. "the baby's crying." (no signs of illness, just crying)

Dumb reason to bring a healthy child in.

And I swear this is not a hijack.

My grandson had open heard a 10(?11) days old to correct TVG. He is dong fine and only needs annual follow-up, however the Peds cardiologist says he remains at risk for MI. His parents have instructions to take him to the nearest ER for crying without cause >30 minutes.

I would rather have a frustrated parent bring their child in for something trivial like crying, then a bring them in with a LOC because they were shaken or thrown up against a wall for crying. Sometimes parents just need to know someone is listening.

Also I have seen alot of babies that came in with chief complaint or crying, even for 1 hour, end up with intassuseption (Sp?)

Crying isn't as trivial as it sounds

It is so nice to see that some ER nurses are NOT into treating the patients like "annoyances" or to be abused by rude, unempathetic staff.

Yes, some people do come in with self-indulgent complaints, but they have to be sorted out with a professional non-judgemental attitude.

Most people need help. They are not necessarily educated, nor do they have their docs available....the standard around here is for the PMD TO SEND THEIR NON-SCHEDULED PRIVATE PATIENTS TO THE ER.

So when patients are seeking help, they don't need course, rude, sneering staff.

Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

Scampi

Everybody needs someplace to vent - and for a lot of people this is it - I doubt VERY seriously many of these people treat the patients the way you seem to think they would. Lighten up. :)

You can take care of a patient and be sympathetic and caring and wonderful and scream your head off in the break room afterwards - thats what this is - don't be so quick to jump on the high horse.

A mother brought her sons in to be evaluated for an ingestion. It seems that there were several ants (later to find out at the most 2) in a donut box. After the boys at their helpings of donuts, the mother noted the ants in the box and "rushed 'em right over." :stone

Needless to say, the dischagrge instructions included to not eat any more foods with ants nearby.

Specializes in ER ( Peds/Adult).

No kidding folks, about 5 years ago, at 3 a.m., had a grown adult female present to triage c/c "chapped lips X 3 weeks". Don't know about the rest of you, but that still holds first prize at our ED for most ridiculous c/c.

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
A mother brought her sons in to be evaluated for an ingestion. It seems that there were several ants (later to find out at the most 2) in a donut box. After the boys at their helpings of donuts, the mother noted the ants in the box and "rushed 'em right over." :stone

Needless to say, the dischagrge instructions included to not eat any more foods with ants nearby.

And to remind the mom that ants had more protein than their donuts.

Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

Hmmm, I'm surprised no one has mentioned these yet:

Stubbed toe

burning eyes from chopping onions

paper cut

hoorifice voice from too much yelling

canker sore (mouth ulcer)

cellulite

cut while shaving

thumb sucking

toilet training

splinter

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

how about coming in by EMS because your tongue turned black

Dx- PeptoBismol Ingestion

Hmmm, I'm surprised no one has mentioned these yet:

canker sore (mouth ulcer)

I don't mean to bust chops, but I'm glad noone has, because I did go to an ER for this. My fiance and I were moving back to TX from CA in Sept and we were rearended on I-80. A couple days later I broke out something fierce in my mouth(I was in St. Louis at this time visiting my mother). I couldn't eat or drink; it was horrible. So since I was 1000s of miles away from my previous primary care physician, I didn't have alot of choice. Waited forever for the PA to incorrectly dx me with herpes, but yet said they were canker sores and said they were one in the same (and from the research I did, they are definitely different). He wanted me to take ultram for the pain, so I redirected his thinking and got some viscous lidocaine.

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