What was the WORST thing a patient has been brought to ER for?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Let's have some stories about those traumas that you talk about for days in you ER's!

And I thought oncology was heart breaking. Hats off to all of you.

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Specializes in PICU, surgical post-op.
Because for all the horror and man's "inhumanity to man" you will see-you will also see grateful parents, grateful children, and really sick people made well. You will get to be the "first line" of medicine. You will get to be the one who delivers the pain med to the kiddo with the broken arm. You will get to be the one that holds the precip delivery for the first time (not too often, God willing:chuckle ) You will get to be the one that gets the 45 yo from door to cath lab in less then 20 minutes, and you will get to be the one who gives the family of the dying guy enough courage to sit by his side for his last minutes.

I've been sitting here reading this thread and just crying. I don't know how you ED nurses do it, but I just want to say thank you. I know sometimes that all the good you can find almost isn't enough to keep you sane, but just keep hanging onto that. Because we need you.

Much love from a grateful PICU RN.

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thank you too all the er nurses who take care of us when we are sick

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Dr. Michael Baden (whom I'm sure everyone is familiar with) said there is a 25% chance when sleeping with a baby that the baby will die as a result of a rollover death. There was one stupid woman who had not only lost her twins after coming home drunk and getting in bed with them, but she had lost two other children to the same stupid mistake.

If you are going to co-sleep, you should never do it while under the influence of anything. You should even avoid it when overly tired. I co-slept with all 3 of my kids when they were babies, but I was very careful about it. I think people who compile the stats need to eliminate 'deaths due to stupidity' from the numbers. It makes us consciencious co-sleepers look bad.

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If you are going to co-sleep, you should never do it while under the influence of anything. You should even avoid it when overly tired. I co-slept with all 3 of my kids when they were babies, but I was very careful about it. I think people who compile the stats need to eliminate 'deaths due to stupidity' from the numbers. It makes us consciencious co-sleepers look bad.

Exactly.

And how many babies die in cribs in other rooms compared to the number of babies who die while co-sleeping safely?

And there is research showing cosleeping may benefit/prevent SIDS, r/t mama's breathing "reminding" baby to breathe, ect....

Back on topic... kudos to all ER nurses! You rock.

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whoa! I thought i wanted to work in the ER. Those stories are terrible! How do you deal with that?

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18 month old raped by bf...had a tear from her lady parts to her rectum that her mother had sewn up with a needle and thread at home...

bilateral above knee amputations while pushing stalled car off road ...happened twice this year

12 month baby drowned while in hot tub with intoxicated parents

divorced dad had to work late, ex-wife called and said if he was late picking up 6 year old son wouldn't get to see him .. instead of going home to get his car picked up child in work van with no passenger seat only had to drive a mile home ...hit by drunk and son killed

28 y o groom pushed into pool by his brother/best man 2 hours after his wedding...c3 vent dep quad.

2 brothers 18 & 21... 21 y o getting married...went out drinking...21 y o too drunk to drive, gives keys to 18 yo drunk brother...hit a power pole which falls on car and sets it on fire..21 yo legs pinned burns to death while screaming for help...18 yo comes in with arm burns and singed hair after trying to pull brother from car...parents drive by accident on way to hospital...see 21 yo still in car...arrive at hospital and mother asks "what do i say to my son who just killed his brother" went to jail for vehicular homicide

its in the memory of those we cannot save that we save the ones we can.

21 yo shot in head on christmas eve while drinking and parents out of town ..last thing he says before he goes unconscious is "tell my folks i love them and it was an accident"... in the or the surgeon literally scoops out a handful of brain and closes him up...3 days later he wakes up, extubated ...gives me a big hug when i visit and says "you did a great job" some movement problems with one arm ...talks to kids about drinking and gun safety.

16 yo drowns at ny eve party at local ymca...resus for an hour...no deficits... going to college this year

20 y o gsw to left ventricle trying to stop a car jacking ...open chest within 6 min of arriving by car at back door...thoracic surgeon between cases drinking coffee at trauma desk when he arrived ..sewed up heart in er and off to icu stable

8 y o drowns at church picnic...resus for 2 hours ...no deficit

13 yo on vacation at beach impaled by glass from coffee table...8 in shard goes in though buttocks, into pelvis and severs gluteal artery...loses liter of blood in the first minute ...bleeding controlled by mother /er nurse at scene...survives 25 min wait for ems. trauma surgeon said would have bled to death in another 2 minutes ...c

on christmas i'm walking back from l & d pushing a w/c ..i see a visitor with a group of family members walking to the icu who looks like he's not feeling well. i say are you ok?? "i'm fine just a little dizzy"...he looks gray...i put him in w/c and say i'm taking you with me ...amid protesting from him and family i whip him into a cardiac room where he arrests before i get him on the bed. resus 45 min...shock 9 times...that was 15 years ago...every year on christmas day he calls the er and tells whoever answers the phone..."15 years ago your staff saved my life and i want them to know i appreciate it, i've had another great year with my family...i believe in miracles and so should you...you can make miracles happen...god bless you and have a merry christmas"

it's hard work. bad things happen to good people. and one person can make a difference.

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Russ11, bless you for this post.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
its in the memory of those we cannot save that we save the ones we can.

thanks ... i needed to hear that right now ... after losing an 18-year old this week. back to work tomorrow ... to keep on keepin' on.

my cop friend says, "that's why we do it, sweetheart ... that, and the great hours."

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Okay, someone start a thread of GOOD cases, miracles and all that...need to read those to balance all of the horrific cases!

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Specializes in Medical.

What does it say about me that it's the saves (thanks russ11) that had me go from tears pricking my eyes to having them drip on the keyboard (to the distress of my colleagues)?

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I read through just about all of the posts i could take and i just wanted to personally say thank you to all of you brave nurses!! I am a pre-nursing student and never really considered the ER, only because of the guaranteed unexpected cases that come in, just like the one's listed in these posts. You all are God-given and are special and important people in the world and hospital setting. God Bless you all!

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