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 ?

We had one yesterday 20 yr old hiccups said they started on thursday wanted to know why. Never had them before. Ate and drank no problem spoke with me no hiccups? stayed in the waiting room 3 hours no hiccups????? Guess I scared him:lol2:

OK - dumb question - I understand that you can't refuse to treat someone in the emergency room. Can you refuse to see an obvious non-emergency like the hangnail?

In the UK, at least in our department we are aloud to send patients away from triage who do not present with an emergency probelm that could either be managed by the GP (family doctor) at a later date or managed with OTC medication.

On the most redicioulous thing a patient has said, we have a 4 hour wait in our departments the patients must be seen and d/c within that time, if they are not then the hosptial gets fined. I had a girl at 2am come in c/o sore feet, she had blisters on both feet in the same place from dancing the last 5 hours at a club, there was also a 4.5hr wait in A+E to see a dr, politley told patient where she could take said probem at that time in the morning, espcially as there was still a queue for triage

I don't personally work in the ER but, a fellow nurse told me this story. She was working in the ER when a mother and a very visably pregnant 13yo daughter (yes 13yo) came in, with abdominal pain. The mother wanted to know what was wrong with her daughter and wanted to know if watermelons could really grow in her stomach if she had ate a watermelon seed. The girl gave birth a few hours later.

Wow, that's some serious denial on mom's part. Makes me sad for both mom and daughter just thinking about it. :o

Specializes in Urgent Care.

A dumb dad came in with his daughter because she was having a tantrum!

I actually knew the kid and her mom. A few days later mom called an told me (she didnt know I was there) and asked if she could be automatically called if her daughter was admitted to the ED. I told her she would have to call medical records and see if there was a way they could note on the electronic system to always notify the custodial parent(they are divorced). She doesnt want her daughter to see the ED/Hosp/docs/nurses as punishment. I can see why she isnt married to that clown anymore!

Specializes in ortho/neuro/general surgery.
In the UK, at least in our department we are aloud to send patients away from triage who do not present with an emergency probelm that could either be managed by the GP (family doctor) at a later date or managed with OTC medication.

Hey, cool, sounds like you folks have the right idea! Maybe you could teach us a thing or two about healthcare then.

Specializes in Nursing Ed, Ob/GYN, AD, LTC, Rehab.
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.

aww i think this one is kind of cute!

Hey, cool, sounds like you folks have the right idea! Maybe you could teach us a thing or two about healthcare then.

Sounds great! I think if you are embarrassed to go to the ER , then you probably should not go.

for example : my son had a fever that would not go away ,but seemed fine. i got freaked out and called his pcp who could not see him, i went to the ER and i was embarrassed but fed up. the ER people referred me to ambulatory care where i made an appt for later that day (later it all made sense and i was totally embarred)

once i went b/c i spilled hot coffee in my lap..i waited a few hours (meaning it was probably not an emergency ) but when i went to the ER they were so nice..i should have called a PCP but did not have one at the time !

i chopped off my finger tip in a food processor and went to the ER ...when i look back it seems silly ...i would have been fine...but they took care of me in the ER and even managed to stress me out that my finger would never be the same.....it seemed questionable ...but i am lucky to have had great skin re generation

A dumb dad came in with his daughter because she was having a tantrum!

I actually knew the kid and her mom. A few days later mom called an told me (she didnt know I was there) and asked if she could be automatically called if her daughter was admitted to the ED. I told her she would have to call medical records and see if there was a way they could note on the electronic system to always notify the custodial parent(they are divorced). She doesnt want her daughter to see the ED/Hosp/docs/nurses as punishment. I can see why she isnt married to that clown anymore!

He must not be obligated to pay her medical bills!

Seriously, the ER where I work sees kids all the time who are having hours-long tantrums that DO NOT end, and these kids get admitted to the psych unit. How old is the child and what was she doing?

Hey, cool, sounds like you folks have the right idea! Maybe you could teach us a thing or two about healthcare then.

As a student in A&E we had one man who has averaged 2 visit per week who lived across the street and came by EMS c/o chest pain so had a ecg etc every time. however triage nurses told me only a doctor could Dx home patients and loved when they did so. one doctor was famous for going inot the waitin room and telling them to go home when the person complained that they had to be seen by a doctor he said you have.

Specializes in 6 years of ER fun, med/surg, blah, blah.

Ooo, I love that one, "you have been seen by a Doctor". Now get the h*ll out, under my:roll breath, I would add.

Specializes in med/surg,ortho trauma,step down,neuro.

:trout: once a girl came to the ER by ambulance because she fell while moving in to her dorm and broke her acryllic finger nail and it was bleeding. then she was upset because she had to wait in the waiting room, even though she came by ambulance.

Strangest visit: a man came to triage complaining that he had a snake in his bladder. I think the md did an x-ray to amuse himself, imagine his suprise when there were little snakey bones in the man's bladder. mmmmmmm, snake catheter. Why? we'll never know.

Specializes in Med/Surg, ER and ICU!!!.
:trout: once a girl came to the ER by ambulance because she fell while moving in to her dorm and broke her acryllic finger nail and it was bleeding. then she was upset because she had to wait in the waiting room, even though she came by ambulance.

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:uhoh3: :uhoh3: :uhoh21:

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