What was the MOST ridiculous thing a patient came to the ER for?

Specialties Emergency Nursing Q/A

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 Emergency Room.

17 yo f comes by ambulance for a cough x 3 days that she was already on antibiotics for. Lungs clear, never heard her cough once in the hour she was there.

Walking in the snow and feet got cold...

ETA: arrived via EMS

Specializes in ED, School Nurse.

I had a cute LOL come in c/o UTI symptoms. She was kind enough to bring her own urine samples in for us. In an old plastic butter tub. And in an old perfume bottle. She was just trying to HELP!!!

We asked a young male- maybe early 20s?- for a urine sample. Can't remember his complaint, but he gave us a specimen cup full of soapy water as his sample. We sent it to the lab for kicks and giggles.

Here's a good one. Few months back, someone comes in by EMS for dizzyness. When did it start? "Someone rang my doorbell at 10 p.m. and when I opened the door there was a brownie on the ground. I ate it and I've felt really weird since." Who the heck eats food randomly found food at their doorstep.

Imagine their luck, it was the special brownie.

Specializes in Emergency Room.

Yesterday morning at 0630 had a 71 year old man come via ambulance to the ER for some swelling in his left nostril. Denied any pain unless he put his finger in his nose and pushed down on it hard which he was more than willing to show me. No other complaints. EMS just walked him in.

Guy comes into the front lobby of the hospital screaming at the top of his lungs he needs a Dr NOW. A surgeon shows him down to ED and he's still screaming "I HAVE NEVER SEEN MY DAUGHTER LIKE THIS BEFORE". He's screaming there's no time for paperwork/bracelet/verification they need a DR NOW!!!!

Hes holding a 2 year old girl who is crying, (probly because dad is yelling at everyone at the top of his lungs) no obvious deformities/bleeding/wounds.

Kid had a fever. 101 and a ear infection.

He he didn't even park in a parking spot , just stopped in the middle if the driveway and refused to move.

Huge scene.

Had a mom bring her son in today with 4 mosquito bites on her arm. And she knew they were mosquito bites....

I once had a whole family come into triage when I was a student during my ER rotation. They all complained of very benign things.

Minor back pain for the past 4 weeks for mom, fatigue around the menstrual cycle for the daughter, and dad came because he thought his BP was too high. It wasn't.

Mind you, they all requested to be triaged at the same time as the others, even when we asked them to leave to allow privacy. They all took turns in the chair, and then just stood by in the tiny triage area while the next family member reported their minor complaints.

I'm assuming they also expected the doctor to see them at the same time as well. Who knows. They left after only waiting 3 hours in the waiting room.

Specializes in Nurse Résumés, Emergency Medicine.

November 2nd...patient comes to the ED with vampire teeth prosthetics still adhered to her teeth! She threw away the package and could not release the adhesive.

Earring removal. Not recently pierced, not infected, no obvious trauma or problem. Just apparently could not get said earring off ear.

treatment in triage-

me: can you try to show me what happens if you try to take it off

her: *slips earring off*

me: ok, so it looks like the problem is fixed.

..... smh

My favorite has to do with me. I was in the ER twice in 3 days for anaphylaxis. No problems there. Very valid reason to go, and they couldn't triage me fast enough. Nope, the problem was my job trying to say it wasn't an anaphylactic reaction ignoring the paperwork from 2 ER visits and my pcp saying it was.

Specializes in ICU, Telemetry, ER.

My fav for stupidity was this: 18 year old female shows up -her chief complaint is "my tongue is black" It was about 0300 and after I put her in a room she hands me card and asked me call her parole officer and let him know she was in the ED. I go back out to the desk and tell the other nurse evidently louder than I should of "you are not going to believe this one"! I did attempt to call the P.O. with no answer About this time she comes to the desk and said since you don't believe me I am leaving! I handed her the P.O. 's card back I said sorry no answer.

"We can't fix stupid but we can sedate it'. My favorite

We had a frequent flyer who came in per EMS on a back board for "severe back pain." Took 4 of us to lift her onto the cart. Told her I'd be back in a few minutes gave a call light and went back to my patient in room next to her. In about three minutes she managed to get the neck brace and all the straps off walked into the room I am in and says "could you get me a glass of ice and a soda? I wanted so bad to say it took four people to lift your fat ass off the cart and you want a fricking soda! And after while she asks for a snack. It is amazing they come in by EMS but can always find a way home. Oh well life goes on when you have "the magic card".

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