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 ?

Imagine this... during a Level 3 ( level 3 is the most severe) snow storm/blizzard a patient with 3 small children drove to the ED at 3 am with a complaint of a rash on her buttocks that had been present for 3months. This patient c/o pain 10/10 and nausea with vomiting ( at no time was an emesis noted). This patient requested Dilaudid, Phenergan, (and stated that she usually gets 2mg of Dilaudid) and that Benadryl was also needed because she itches with Dilaudid. upon exam the patient was noted to have a small area from an ingrown hair. The doc gave her the dilaudid, phenergan and benadryl along with a prescription for percocet for, good measure I suppose. Finally, a week later my manager informed me that this nauseated patient was unhappy with her care because I didn't offer to feed her. I was asked to write a response.

You should be ashamed of yourself. No steak. Tsk, tsk. I guess you should have fed the kids, too, and given them blankets, gowns, cab vouchers, etc. I get sooo very tired of poverty, drug abuse, and the effects these have on children and their families. My wife was watching Platinum Weddings. I think it is sinful to spend so much on a wedding but, on the other hand, I enjoyed looking at the beautiful dresses, flowers, and jewelry. It was nice to see beauty, not poverty and poor neighborhoods, poor people for a while. I feel for them but I think they sometimes add to their own problems. I guess we all do.:(

Specializes in Hospitalist.

OK, I have a new one. I had a pt come to triage with 2 brownish, reddish streaks on the lateral aspect of her R foot. She said "My mom told me it's blood poisoning and I think's it because I had this infection on my toe [of her left foot] last year." I told her it was impossible to have blood poisoning on her R foot from an infection on her left foot, but anyway. I wanted to tell her to get a new pair of shoes, but I didn't. I triaged her as reason for visit "Blood poisoning" which, of course, is code for "Crazy". She waited 7 1/2 hours to be seen. When the PA finally saw her, he noticed the sparkly glitter on said brownish, reddish streaks. He took an alcohol swab and wiped the nail polish off her foot. We told him he should have given her discharge instructions to get a new pedicurist because the last one's aim sucked.

Specializes in ER, PACU.
OK, I have a new one. I had a pt come to triage with 2 brownish, reddish streaks on the lateral aspect of her R foot. She said "My mom told me it's blood poisoning and I think's it because I had this infection on my toe [of her left foot] last year." I told her it was impossible to have blood poisoning on her R foot from an infection on her left foot, but anyway. I wanted to tell her to get a new pair of shoes, but I didn't. I triaged her as reason for visit "Blood poisoning" which, of course, is code for "Crazy". She waited 7 1/2 hours to be seen. When the PA finally saw her, he noticed the sparkly glitter on said brownish, reddish streaks. He took an alcohol swab and wiped the nail polish off her foot. We told him he should have given her discharge instructions to get a new pedicurist because the last one's aim sucked.

:chuckle:chuckle:chuckle:chuckle

Specializes in ER - trauma/cardiac/burns. IV start spec.

Oh boy:rolleyes: That is a good one and reminded me of this one.

Medics call about 5AM with a single car crash, female "trapped in drivers seat with partial submersion" (lower legs). The medics reported that both her feet were blue. It is September in Alabama even the shallow parts of the river are fairly tepid.:uhoh21:

Patient arrives and we have warm blankets, the baer hugger, and warm saline. As soon as she was transfered to the bed I pulled off her shoes and her navy blue knee high hose Guess what!:banghead: Her feet were not blue anymore:DShe was healed. The ER Doc gave the medics down the road about the "blue feet" and they weere very embaressed.:yeah:

What can I say..........proves just when you think you have seen it all...wham.:trout: something that you just cannot believe.:smackingf

Later......

Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.
oh boy:rolleyes: that is a good one and reminded me of this one.

medics call about 5am with a single car crash, female "trapped in drivers seat with partial submersion" (lower legs). the medics reported that both her feet were blue. it is september in alabama even the shallow parts of the river are fairly tepid.:uhoh21:

patient arrives and we have warm blankets, the baer hugger, and warm saline. as soon as she was transfered to the bed i pulled off her shoes and her navy blue knee high hose guess what!:banghead: her feet were not blue anymore:dshe was healed. the er doc gave the medics down the road about the "blue feet" and they weere very embaressed.:yeah:

what can i say..........proves just when you think you have seen it all...wham.:trout: something that you just cannot believe.:smackingf

later......

rotflmao:chuckle:chuckle:chuckle:chuckle:chuckle

guess you should be glad the kneee-highs weren't red or you would have had the burn unit on stand-by!!:p

Specializes in ER,ICU and Progressive Care Unit,Peds.

Pregnacy test!!!!!

:banghead:

Specializes in ER - trauma/cardiac/burns. IV start spec.

oh my..another memory jolt:thnkg:

We had a New York trained emergency Doc, you know the kind, carnage, mayhem and he is happy:anpom: However in our ER at night only the really dumb ones come out to play. A real fashion statement:eek:, and his girlfriend came in at 4AM. She wanted a pregnacy test but he had a zipper glued in his hair.:confused: A 6 inch zipper and it was open. Phil walked in the room and is his best New York accent ask the dude why he had a zipper in his hair. The kid said he did not have a problem :nono:and his girl needed a pg test. Good old Phil - went all caveman on them:sasq: Informed the couple that we did not do pg test unless there was a problem and the only problem he saw was the zipper, he reached out and yanked the zipper closed and while the idiot was rolling on the bed in pain:vlin: offered to remove said zipper:grn: They left with instructions to go to local STD clinic in AM. I must say the rest of us had to get over the shock and then we partied.

:dzed::omy::clpty:

Later:smiletea:

Specializes in ER,Surgical floor,Same Day Surgery,SICU.

A girl once came in because she thought it was time her IUD came out. I can't believe the doc did it!

Specializes in ER,ICU and Progressive Care Unit,Peds.

I've had several parents that brought their babies in b/c they just won't stop crying. no fever, no n/v/d. nothing....just wont stop crying. :smackingf

the whole culture of child marriage ...

yes...sigh, so sad...and that child marriage happens on this side of the world too...just not legally.

here's one:

young person comes in to er because they punched someone and their hand now hurts...hmmm...

Specializes in ER - trauma/cardiac/burns. IV start spec.
A girl once came in because she thought it was time her IUD came out. I can't believe the doc did it!

:clpty:

That was great but I think the "lost" cucumber was even better. After Doc finally fished out the remaining vegetable he wrote d'c orders - Oil and vinager douche, no more salad sex. :smackingf

Later

:smiletea:

Gum stuck in long blond (bleached) hair. The doctor wrote a recommendation on an order sheet to a cosmetologist.

:lol2::yeah:

+ Join the Discussion