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 ER (new), Respitory/Med Surg floor.

I know when I was an infant a peice of hair got stuck on my big toe cutting off my circulation that my mom brought me to the ER to remove it b/c she couldn't get remove it!!! Ok it was really cutting off the circulation but makes me laugh everytime I think about it!

Also on my med surg unit, not ER but anyway, a pt called 911 in the middle of the night b/c she was in pain and no one was adressing it she felt. The 911 operator confrenced in to our operator who got in touch with the doctor who spoke to the pt with her nurse nearby. They consulted ortho for knee pain and started on some morphine. This pt has hx of drug abuse. But wow...

I did shadow an triage nurse in the ER and saw this: mom brings her 1 year old in. Says yesterday she vomitted 2x and 2x diarrhea. Then the day she came into ER gave her baby pedialyte and the baby kept it down and no diarrhea this day. ??? Ok I'm no expert but really? Sounds like it resolved. No temp or signs of distress either.

Had another good one early Saturday morning...

An 18-yo came in (accompanied by 2 or 3 of his buddies) for c/o acne. He wanted it cleared up before prom that night.

I guess some people my age are even dumber then me

Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.
I know when I was an infant a peice of hair got stuck on my big toe cutting off my circulation that my mom brought me to the ER to remove it b/c she couldn't get remove it!!! Ok it was really cutting off the circulation but makes me laugh everytime I think about it!

I have a clear memory of when I was about 7, choking on a piece of hair. I was banging on the door of my mother's room but she thought I was just annoying her while she was trying to get dressed or something. I finally was able to pull the hair out of my throat and coughed up some blood with it. That was scary!

Specializes in ED-CEN/PACU/Flight.
I guess some people my age are even dumber then me

I don't think it was his age... I think people's expectations of the ER, in general, are way off. They expect us to cure EVERYTHING during a certain time frame. Too much TV, I suppose?

Specializes in med/surg, Icu/Ccu. ER, PACU, HHC, LTC.

the one patient that comes to mind here and there are so many from my 10 years in er........i have seen many like u all have experienced......i was triage on an always busy sunday eve/night was a lady c/o hemorrhoid pain......it was obvious it was painful to sit.....and while in the waiting room he mother called to tell me she was in pain and needed to lay down.....so i went to the back after my triage time was over and yes, i got her chart.....well she was already ina treatment bed and was going to xray for a chest film......she had a congested bronchitis/smokers cough on exam.....so after the Dr had me put her in the gyn room so he could examine her hemorrhoid complaint.......well when i put her feet in the stirrups and spread her legs with the doc seated appropriately this tan oooooooze flowed and i mean flowed not from her hemorrhoid.......she denyed any knowledge of lady partsl discahrge......omg i didn't breathe because i didn't want to know if it had a smell or not......the doc was like Woa.....then after obtaining cultures he finally lanced her smal thrombosed hemrrhoid.......would love to see the drg/insurance people on this chart......all of the above could have been treated by pcp..

also while in er i used to say at triage we needed boxes for pt.history forms that they complete for 1)work excuse...2)drug seeking..3)really sick....4)others......of course admin says *educating* the public will not do any good......it couldn't hurt.

finally in my area ambulances now charge for taxi runs and really has cut down on the abuse.

as i read i am sure i will remember many many more stories...

Recently had a patient come in stating that she had overdosed......on 1 extra dose of serevent

Triaged a fellow who said "I sat on a shooter glass." "I tried to remove it with some pliers but I can't get it." Thinking he has a piece of glass in his xxx, no....you guessed it. Xray shows a nice silhoutte of a shooter glass. Stood by his story of sitting on the glass. Locum surgeon had to bring the pt. to the OR to have the shooter glass removed. He is lucky he ended up o.k. even though he was literally a PITA.

Specializes in Med/Surg.
Triaged a fellow who said "I sat on a shooter glass." "I tried to remove it with some pliers but I can't get it." Thinking he has a piece of glass in his xxx, no....you guessed it. Xray shows a nice silhoutte of a shooter glass. Stood by his story of sitting on the glass. Locum surgeon had to bring the pt. to the OR to have the shooter glass removed. He is lucky he ended up o.k. even though he was literally a PITA.

:lol2: :lol2::lol2::lol2: :lol_hitti :selfbonk: :lol_hitti :selfbonk: :lol_hitti :selfbonk: :lol_hitti :lol_hitti :selfbonk: oh boy keep em coming!!!!!

Specializes in Med/Surg.

:barf02: :barf02: :barf02: :barf02: :barf02:

the one patient that comes to mind here and there are so many from my 10 years in er........i have seen many like u all have experienced......i was triage on an always busy sunday eve/night was a lady c/o hemorrhoid pain......it was obvious it was painful to sit.....and while in the waiting room he mother called to tell me she was in pain and needed to lay down.....so i went to the back after my triage time was over and yes, i got her chart.....well she was already ina treatment bed and was going to xray for a chest film......she had a congested bronchitis/smokers cough on exam.....so after the Dr had me put her in the gyn room so he could examine her hemorrhoid complaint.......well when i put her feet in the stirrups and spread her legs with the doc seated appropriately this tan oooooooze flowed and i mean flowed not from her hemorrhoid.......she denyed any knowledge of lady partsl discahrge......omg i didn't breathe because i didn't want to know if it had a smell or not......the doc was like Woa.....then after obtaining cultures he finally lanced her smal thrombosed hemrrhoid.......would love to see the drg/insurance people on this chart......all of the above could have been treated by pcp..

also while in er i used to say at triage we needed boxes for pt.history forms that they complete for 1)work excuse...2)drug seeking..3)really sick....4)others......of course admin says *educating* the public will not do any good......it couldn't hurt.

finally in my area ambulances now charge for taxi runs and really has cut down on the abuse.

as i read i am sure i will remember many many more stories...

:barf02: :barf02: :barf02: :barf02: :barf02: HOLY CRAP

Specializes in pure and simple psych.

He is lucky he ended up o.k. even though he was literally a PITA.

Sarah, what means PITA??? Thanks:confused:

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Pain in the .....

He is lucky he ended up o.k. even though he was literally a PITA.

Sarah, what means PITA??? Thanks:confused:

Pain the the @$$.

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