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, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.

After getting out of the Army (I was a medic) and waiting for my EMT license to come through, I worked in an ER (in the stat lab) as a vampire.

One Friday night, late, I was walking (quickly) back to the lab with some samples when I passed a screened bay and heard a highly indignant, effeminate, male voice exclaim: "Don't worry about how it got there... just get it out!"

I burst out laughing so hard, my eyes got blurry with tears. The charge nurse had to come around and lead me away from the area because I couldn't see. :roll

Specializes in Pediatric ER.

last night a call came over the radio for the aer. 50 y/o f who overdosed on ambien. c/c: sleepy. hmm, go figure!!!

:idea:

As soon as they changed the "age of consent" law in this state from 15 to 16, aunt (and guardian) of soon-to-be-16 yr old (birthday in two weeks) brings the girl in, c/o "She had sex." Pressed statutory rape charges against the 19 yr old boyfriend, who now faced a felony sex offender charge and all that goes with that, including having to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Of course the place was crawling with (not too happy) police, an investigator, and DFCS. Not that I'm for 15 yr old girls having 19 yr old boyfriends, but I don't see having the boy go up for felony charges and using our ER to press it. I think it would be preferable to talk with the girl, rather than to mindlessly destroy her relationship with her.

Not that I'm for 15 yr old girls having 19 yr old boyfriends, but I don't see having the boy go up for felony charges and using our ER to press it. I think it would be preferable to talk with the girl, rather than to mindlessly destroy her relationship with her.

Well, statutory rape IS a felony, so he should be prosecuted. But why on earth couldn't the aunt just go to the police???

Specializes in home & public health, med-surg, hospice.
Well, statutory rape IS a felony, so he should be prosecuted. But why on earth couldn't the aunt just go to the police???

In order to have a rape kit performed, essentially, to collect the evidence.

Here's my ridiculous ER story: I squirted oven cleaner in my eye. It really was a very tiny amount but due to all the warning labels slapped all over the can to "seek medical help immediately", I called poison control and they told me to go to the ER. My eye was red with a little bit of discharge. A really sweet nurse irrigated my eye and that was all. They wanted me to wait to have the eye checked for abrasions by the opthomologist (who was in surgery) but I was feeling fine after the irrigation and figured that if the eye started bothering me later I would see a doctor. So I signed out AMA and that's where the story ends. I did feel bad taking up a bed when other patients were so much sicker than I was, but I had first tried irrigating my eye at home under the faucet and it wasn't doing the trick.

What I'm wondering, after reading this entire thread, is what stories PCP's can tell about patients who belong in the ER and go to the doctor's office instead.

Bad idea, eye injuries are true emergencies. Chemicals that get into the eye can keep on doing damage and burn corneas and cause permanet damage. They need to be checked by a physician before discharge. No one would fault you for taking a bed.

Hi all, I'm not a nurse, (yet), I work as a tech, and a few weeks ago, a woman came in and said she had..."the flesh eating bacteria on her foot". I helped take off her sock and shoe at triage, scared to death; I would see a rotting foot...nope,....just dry skin, left with a $100 co-pay and OTC rx for neutrogina lotion. :uhoh3:

Hi all, I'm not a nurse, (yet), I work as a tech, and a few weeks ago, a woman came in and said she had..."the flesh eating bacteria on her foot". I helped take off her sock and shoe at triage, scared to death; I would see a rotting foot...nope,....just dry skin, left with a $100 co-pay and OTC rx for neutrogina lotion. :uhoh3:

You have got to be kidding!!!

:rotfl: :banghead: :smackingf

The best one I have is a 20-something male came in because he was masturbating, which he stated he did 2xweek, and his ejaculation was not as strong as normal. He wanted to know if there was something wrong with his member, if it was broken, was he getting cancer, etc. Md came in and told him to go to his doctor, and not to come back unless he was bleeding or couldn;t breathe. When MD saw triage note he asked me if I was kidding! I just HAD to go in for the MD eval!!!

Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

A stupid, stupid mother. She brought her young daughter in because she had eaten several ants. The nurse told her ants are not dangerous to eat. Thank God she did bring the child in though as she was turning pale and getting sicker by the minute. The mother said "I gave her some ant killer to drink to kill them, I hope that was ok"?

Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
A stupid, stupid mother. She brought her young daughter in because she had eaten several ants. The nurse told her ants are not dangerous to eat. Thank God she did bring the child in though as she was turning pale and getting sicker by the minute. The mother said "I gave her some ant killer to drink to kill them, I hope that was ok"?

OMG!!!!! :eek: :eek:

I hope this woman had a psych eval. Is she crazy?:uhoh3: :uhoh3: :eek: :eek:

Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
OMG!!!!! :eek: :eek:

I hope this woman had a psych eval. Is she crazy?:uhoh3: :uhoh3: :eek: :eek:

Obviously! She was reported to DHS as I recall

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