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 ?

I just started a new job at a hospital in a wealthy suburb of Chicago.

We had a 60'ish man come in c/o 'someone put something in my drugs' and asking for a drug test.

Huh?

I asked him if we were looking for zebras or elephants, which he refused to answer.

He took his 'medication' over two weeks ago...got angry at the long wait and left without being seen.

Good riddance.

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.

I had a healthy male, about 30 call an ambulance for his chapped lips. Yes, they were chapped,and ugly. He had never heard of vaseline or any other remedy available OTC.

I had a healthy male, about 30 call an ambulance for his chapped lips. Yes, they were chapped,and ugly. He had never heard of vaseline or any other remedy available OTC.

And I'm sure the pain was killing them, and they needed to be rehydrated and have meds for pain and nausea.

Chapped lips wins. Even my stupid drug test guy (yes he was an idiot, and a needy one at that!) made the chapped lips people look fairly legitimate. At least you wouldn't laugh in their faces. I hope.

All in one day;

- "my ear hurts" s/p using a telephone antenna to scratch inside it

- "every time I have sex I get a headache" x > 3 attempts

- ingrown toenail x at least a week-- was the GROSSEST looking toe I have seen in a while, how can you go that long with green stuff oozing out of your body and just think it will go away?!?

Specializes in Emergency, PACU, ICU,.

How 'bout this...

I had just assumed my 5 bed assignment and and was given a "Lady Of The Night" with a roach in her ear. She had just been brought in by the local EMS guys... That's not the sad part. After removing the roach, teaching how to avoid having this happen again, suggesting changing motels for doing biz (once this happens, it's a good idea to try a different place), and her written instructions, she returns about 3 or 4 hours later by ambulance from the same motel with another roach in the same ear...

I work security in an ER and one day a young lady was being seen and her mother was with her, cant remember exactly what her complaint was. Anyway she kept making trips to the bathroom trying to give urine when all of a sudden the mother starts screaming, "Oh my god she had a baby! The babys in the toilet!!! Me and the tech run over and sure enough there's mommy crying and a newborn face down in the water. Apparently she was in denial of her pregnancy and was overweight and able to carry the baby in her hips. The mother was clueless. How she got the umbilical cord cut I have no idea but the baby turned out to be ok. One of her sisters visited the ER shortly after and said that the baby was home but the mother was STILL in denial.

Specializes in Med/Surg.
I work security in an ER and one day a young lady was being seen and her mother was with her, cant remember exactly what her complaint was. Anyway she kept making trips to the bathroom trying to give urine when all of a sudden the mother starts screaming, "Oh my god she had a baby! The babys in the toilet!!! Me and the tech run over and sure enough there's mommy crying and a newborn face down in the water. Apparently she was in denial of her pregnancy and was overweight and able to carry the baby in her hips. The mother was clueless. How she got the umbilical cord cut I have no idea but the baby turned out to be ok. One of her sisters visited the ER shortly after and said that the baby was home but the mother was STILL in denial.

:eek:

:eek:

I'll second that!

We had a mom come in with her infant because the infant had a diaper rash. She called in a complaint because others were seen before her. a code, a fx femur, a broke hip, a decreased loc, and a chestpain. Somehow her babys diaper rash was more important even though there is a sign that says patients are seen based on need.

melissa

Specializes in start in NICU 7/14/08.

chapped lips, approximately 3am - via ambulance

edit: reading the thread as i reply, someone else had this one, too!

edit2: forgot the most famous one that we still talk about "passing these aliens" is exactly what the "reason for visit" field indicated on the sign in slip :)

Specializes in Med/Surg.
And I'm sure the pain was killing them, and they needed to be rehydrated and have meds for pain and nausea.

Chapped lips wins. Even my stupid drug test guy (yes he was an idiot, and a needy one at that!) made the chapped lips people look fairly legitimate. At least you wouldn't laugh in their faces. I hope.

But it's so HARD not too!!!!!!!

Specializes in Peds.

These are from my bro-in-law who is an ER doc...

Late teen/early 20's girl, boyfriend dumped her at ER, their sex games had included coke bottle in an orifice in which it didn't belong...a suction formed and she couldn't get it out.

(this one's pathetic) Aphasic elderly man in LTC facility. Brought in d/t incessant crying of a couple of hours duration. Bob figured out that the only fix he needed was being repositioned in his wc. He'd been sitting on his testicles.......

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