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, ER.

Just last week:

Elderly gentleman transported by ambulance from NH. Transfer dx: pt feels cold to the touch.

It's the end of August, a/c going full blast everywhere, gentleman wearing long pants & sweatshirt. After a trip through 90+ degree wheather, pt feels plenty warm to me. Pt has no c/o of anything bothering him.

Discharge instructions include: Keep pt warm by covering with blankets.

After several years in the ER as a registrar and now as an LPN, all I can say is, we just can't make this stuff up.

Specializes in ER!.

Middle-aged female who could not sleep due to her goosebumps.

Mom brought 6-year-old child in at roughly 0300 because said child habitually bit her fingernails and her cuticles were now red. Mom also says with great urgency, "And she's lethargic!!" What would any sane person expect a little kid to be at 3 in the morning except lethargic!?

Specializes in TNCC CEN CPEN CCRN.

Chief complaint: "People say I don't look good"

What can I say, he was right.... previous psychiatric history.

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Ya'll have me so paranoid!!

I needed to go to the ER last Monday; my problem was not life-threatening, but I wasn't sure I could wait another day, and Urgent Care was geographically ridiculous (thank you, Health Net). So off I went, w/a book and a magazine and a bottle of water, checked in, and settled in to wait. Mid-afternoon on a holiday weekend, could be a while.

I waited ~ 1 hour, saw triage, who put me in a room, took VS, etc., and I went back to my book. 20 minutes later, "my" nurse came in, did some more hx and assessment. She and doc were back shortly thereafter. They took care of my problem w/a minimum of fuss, gave me Rx's, d/c instructions-written-and I was out of there after a short stop w/the business folks.

Total time? ~2 1/2 hrs. Not that bad. I apologetically asked the doc if this trip was really necessary? YES! from both him and RN. I feel much better--on many levels!

If it weren't for HIPAA, I'd say you all should compile your stories and have them published in one great big ER storybook! You'd be millionaires!!! :lol2:

I just read this entire post from beginning to end! It is awesome!

I know 11yrs ago in rural Ohio when I was on medicaid the only place that I could be seen for minor acute things such as strep throat was the ER otherwise I had to wait a month for an appt as they where no longer taking "new" pts and no walk-in clinic. In otherwords once they heard medicaid they didn't want the hassle. So where else are you to go? I would try like hell to wait out anything I had because it was embarrassing to go for something I should be at a clinic for.

Where are you supposed to go? How about McDonalds? They are hiring and they provide insurance.

Originally Posted by Geordi486

"I know 11yrs ago in rural Ohio when I was on medicaid the only place that I could be seen for minor acute things such as strep throat was the ER otherwise I had to wait a month for an appt as they where no longer taking "new" pts and no walk-in clinic. In otherwords once they heard medicaid they didn't want the hassle. So where else are you to go? I would try like hell to wait out anything I had because it was embarrassing to go for something I should be at a clinic for."

When one gets on medicaid, schedule a new pt visit/physical (when you aren't sick), then you won't have to wait when you are...

The situation Geordi describes also happens to pts w/ commercial insurance, and the same rule applies...The DAY insurance kicks in, schedule a visit...

Problem solved

Specializes in OR, OB, EM, Flight, ICU, PACU.......

:banghead:OK All, here are some of my favorites:

No one, in the history of ED or LE, has ever come across someone who has an astronomical BAL and had more than two Beers.

Some Dude, That Dude and That Bit*h cause most of the visits to the ED.

Two Black dudes, Two White dudes or Two Mexican dudes cause all of the GSWs and stabbings in the U.S.(we could solve crime in America if we can find these 6 Dudes)

Most Trauma/ED visits in Texas are prefaced with , "here, hold my Beer"!

For the rest of the country, Trauma/ ED visits are prefaced with, "hey, watch this, I saw it on TV!"

No one ever is doing anything before a Trauma/ED visit but "standing on the corner, minding my own business (SOCMOB)", or reading the Bible to my Grandmother on the porch.:banghead::nono::no:

Thanks again for letting me rant.

"And now, for something completely different!"

Where are you supposed to go? How about McDonalds? They are hiring and they provide insurance.

They may provide insurance now, but unless you were in management, until very recently that was not true.

And it might be so expensive, many people can't afford it.

:banghead:OK All, here are some of my favorites:

No one, in the history of ED or LE, has ever come across someone who has an astronomical BAL and had more than two Beers.

Some Dude, That Dude and That Bit*h cause most of the visits to the ED.

Two Black dudes, Two White dudes or Two Mexican dudes cause all of the GSWs and stabbings in the U.S.(we could solve crime in America if we can find these 6 Dudes)

Most Trauma/ED visits in Texas are prefaced with , "here, hold my Beer"!

For the rest of the country, Trauma/ ED visits are prefaced with, "hey, watch this, I saw it on TV!"

No one ever is doing anything before a Trauma/ED visit but "standing on the corner, minding my own business (SOCMOB)", or reading the Bible to my Grandmother on the porch.:banghead::nono::no:

Thanks again for letting me rant.

"And now, for something completely different!"

When "America's Funniest Home Videos" debuted, ERs got LOTS of business from people trying to get on that show. Ditto "Jackass" and now YouTube.

They may provide insurance now, but unless you were in management, until very recently that was not true.

And it might be so expensive, many people can't afford it.

Going to the ER for nonemergent issues is abuse of the system plain and simple. Most of the time over the counter stuff would help but....they don't want to pay for it. :banghead:

Specializes in Psychiatry.
Going to the ER for nonemergent issues is abuse of the system plain and simple. Most of the time over the counter stuff would help but....they don't want to pay for it. :banghead:

Or they go to the ER and leave with an RX for ASPIRIN because they don't want to pay for it.

I know this is true. I worked at a hospital outpt pharmacy and saw it happen several times.

+ Join the Discussion