Most Memorable ER/Doctor Visit

[Raja]

I sort of work in a hospital, so whilst I've seen lots of people waiting in the ER, usually it's not too bad. Then again, it's a small place, as opposed to NYC.

It wasn't too bad, just sort of a surreal experience. The nurses and the doctor had a good laugh about how I ended up with all that glass in my hands though, and to be fair to them, it was rather funny.

[deleted01]

The A&E at our local hospital is pure hell. I've never been for myself, but I went with my mum once. She'd seriously hurt her arm, and took painkillers, then later had some alcohol. Silly of her. She started being sick and her arm was still hurting, so we called an ambulance and I went with her.

We were there for 5 hours, in the middle of the night. She was slipping in and out of consciousness, being sick and coughing up blood, and nobody even cleaned her up. I had to shout at them for some paper towels. I think it was the weekend, so the place was full of drunks. I guess they thought she overdosed or something on purpose, but still, that's no bloody excuse.

My SO had a kinda funny experience when he was a kid. A teacher at his school hit him with her car, and he ended up in hospital with a fractured skull. They patched him up (his head is remarkably strong), but it was snowing outside. The nurses were adamant that he was staying overnight, they couldn't let him leave in that weather. His mum's friend declared that they would be going home, and proceeded to call her Scottish husband to pick them up. He arrived, car kitted out for horrific Scottish weather, and laughed at the reaction of the nurses over a "poxy bit of snow", in his wonderful accent.

[Raja]

I think it might be worth having a 'experiences with doctors thread' not just in the ER, I'd be interested in that.

[peterbound]

NYC ERs are known to be, at times, completely overwhelmed with patients. Occasionally people die waiting to get seen in the ER and it can be hours (or longer!) before anyone notices. A quick google search turned up this recent case from last year. Also, my coworker was fairly quiet generally and I imagine didn't push hard to get seen. Not that it excuses the ER but it was probably busy, noisy and packed full of people. She did say she was sitting on the floor for most of the time because all the seats were taken. Doesn't make me want to trust an ER here any more, though!

Walking that far to an ER like you did must have been terrible, too! kinda scary when you're bleeding that much!

There has to be a change in the understanding of what an ER is. Like an above poster mentioned, it's not for the sniffles, it's for life or limb (or eyesight, hearing, shit like that). People show up and overwhelm the system, and then get mad when it's bogged down.

[sj4iy]

There has to be a change in the understanding of what an ER is. Like an above poster mentioned, it's not for the sniffles, it's for life or limb (or eyesight, hearing, shit like that). People show up and overwhelm the system, and then get mad when it's bogged down.

Well, when a doctor visit can run upwards of a few hundred dollars, and people either don't have insurance or have a high deductible, they will attempt to wait it out. People don't want to go to the ER, but they can't refuse to see you, unlike doctors. It's a symptom of a broken system. Fix the system, you fix the problem.

[HexMachina]

Well, when a doctor visit can run upwards of a few hundred dollars, and people either don't have insurance or have a high deductible, they will attempt to wait it out. People don't want to go to the ER, but they can't refuse to see you, unlike doctors. It's a symptom of a broken system. Fix the system, you fix the problem.

People also overuse A&E in the UK though, and we have the NHS. And drop in centres of course (which are useless in my experience, but that is another topic/rant).

Anyway, the only times I have ever been to A and E I have ended up being admitted onto a Ward for a prolonged stay, save once, and then I was only there because the drop in centre had sent me to A&E.

I have no interesting stories about A&E, but I have, twice, attempted to leave a ward in the middle of the night, one of which was a Children's ward (though my mental state at the time was terrible, in my defence).

[sj4iy]

Also keep in mind that shit can go south in s hurry...my dental abscess had been brewing since Tuesday, but I was in constant contact with my endodontist (who had just done a root canal - the second one on that tooth), and I was on huge doses of oral antibiotics.

When I got really worried on Friday that the swelling I was having was getting worse, his office was closed. I tried calling some oral surgeons to just get the f-ing tooth taken out right then, but no one had a consult open that day.

Usually, things wouldn't be that bad, but when my face swelled to double on Saturday, it was clear that something was wrong.

That's how it is for me. I'm fine most of the time, but one illness or injury could be life threatening quickly.

[Rubies & Jade]

There has to be a change in the understanding of what an ER is. Like an above poster mentioned, it's not for the sniffles, it's for life or limb (or eyesight, hearing, shit like that). People show up and overwhelm the system, and then get mad when it's bogged down.

I do agree with this generally. Its not the whole problem in NYC specifically, but its a significant factor for sure. I have met people who do have insurance but preferred to go to the ER for routine stuff as opposed to spending the time developing a relationship with a doctor. Maybe its complicated by long waits to get doc appointments in the City? New patient appointments can be 8 weeks or more out. But I'm trying to be kind, I think its bad health care to use the ER for regular medical stuff.

[sj4iy]

You might need to tell them what your normal bp is. Mine is well under 120/80. Usually 98/64.

You might be fainting if you hit my numbers.

My mom's BP is much like yours. My normal BP is usually around 120/80 or a little lower. But they knew what my BP was because they took it when I was admitted. They didn't take it again until 5 hours later, when I was crashing...despite the fact that I was losing consciousness. The lowest my BP has ever been was when I was first diagnosed...and it was 50/30 at that point (with a heart rate of 220 bpm). I was in the ICU for a week. I couldn't even walk a block without nearly passing out.

My problem is that my condition is not treated as seriously as it should be because I don't think many nurses or doctors encounter it very often. Couple that with the fact that I'm coming in for something that's usually very benign (like the stomach flu or food poisoning), and I'm often treated like 'one of those people' who inappropriately uses the ER. But for me, it's a spiral effect. In times of stress, the body produces more cortisol to handle the illness or injury...so I need to take more medicine to counteract the illness. But if I can't keep my medicine down, I deteriorate very quickly. So I've learned to go in as soon as I know that I can't keep my medicine down so that I don't have to go by ambulance later.

Long story short (sorry for all the medical stuff), I'm not always taken seriously when I go to the ER.

[A True Kaniggit]

Damn. I was actually looking for funny ER visits when I started this thread, like when my younger brother got a magnet stuck up his nose and the doctor got it out with another magnet. Or when that mother brought her son in because he wouldn't stop jerking off. But this is some serious shit.

So here is some of my ER advice. As previously stated, the first thing you should try is to get an appointment with your PCM/GP. If this is not possible the best time to go for non-emergency visits is usually about 3 a.m. Usually the queue is cleared out by then. Another good time is during high profile sports games. Many people will wait until after games before going to the ER (always a big rush Sundays at the end of football games).

Pretty much the worst time to go is Monday morning. People don't want to go to the ER over the weekend, so they will try to wait it out and hope they get better. However, they have no problem going at the beginning of the work week, so Mondays are usually packed.

Also, before choosing an ER to go to, try and find out if they are a level I trauma center or not. If an ER isn't a level 1 trauma center, it will usually receive much less ambulance traffic, which will keep you from being bumped.

Something to remember is, many ERs triage there patients into categories, like mine did 1-5. 1s would get seen right away, while I've seen 5s get 12 hour+ waits before. Because everyone that gets put into a higher priority category than you will get seen ahead of you. So if you gotta go, make sure it is for a halfway decent reason, or you may be in the waiting room for a long time.

Of course, this advice is specific to where I worked. Hopefully its not too different for other areas.

[Aemon Stark]

I haven't been to emerg for myself since I was 12, which is a disturbingly long time ago.

I don't even know where to begin, though, about "funny stories". I tend to be one step removed from all the weird-not-especially-urgent stuff, so most of my stories are about interesting sick patients or weird, poorly-worked-up consults. I did put temporary pacing wires in a patient way back in the summer, followed by a temporary dialysis line in the same patient later that night.

I try to remember that when someone calls you out, or for a ride to the ER, they are at the limit of their bullshit meter, for the most part. There is the occasional dug seeker, drunk, and irresponsible diabetic. But, even with them, they need some help

For me, visits to the er are only made worse by the staff. Individuals who have never performed pre hospital care, questioning IV placement, immobilization procedures, and treatments used. That shit gets frustrating. Having some pain in the ass nurse (the bane of my fucking existence) question why I stick a 16 gauge in someone's hand, because now they can't do contrast, when she hadn't used anything bigger than a 22 since her community college days is fucking insulting.
Watching nurses pull a line I worked my ass of to get, because they aren't paying attention during the bed move is fucking dumb.

So Ya. The patients...not so much. The staff? They've got some work to do.

You think emerg nurses never place anything bigger than a 22? I work in emerg pretty much all the time, and there are usually plenty of paramedics around. They do great work and follow protocols well, but we don't trust their lines and tubes because, of course, they're often done under suboptimal conditions. Of course, sometimes it's simply a peripheral site doing questionable work - like when we discovered that a femoral CVP had a curiously arterial tracing.

I've also never observed an emerg nurse "question" a paramedic. Is there some reason you think yourself so beyond reproach that slagging emerg staff is justified?

[Summah]

I think I have more interesting stories about individual doctor experiences and being in the hospital than ERs. I've had a couple negative experiences in ERs, because what's most often brought me there is something they usually don't think should be in the ER: migraine, though in my case I have access to what they would give me in an urgent care or migraine specialist's office at home (like injectable toradol/ketorolac, various antiemetics etc) and have never gone to the ER for it, except when I had tried everything and nothing worked. The few times I went to urgent care after having all the rescue medications at home, they either sent me to the ER or couldn't help me at all. The times I didn't go I ended up with migraines that lasted weeks at that level. Usually by the time this many days (If I go it's been at least 3, unless someone sent me) of extremely severe migraine have gone by I'm dehydrated and need fluids as well. I've been treated as a drug seeker. The last time I was at the ER which was the closest one to where I then lived, I told the doctor, "we're in Baltimore, if I wanted drugs I could get something 10 times stronger for a tenth the price of this visit on a corner a few blocks from here". That did not improve his attitude. I also don't (and didn't that time) ask for opiates in the ER, because they don't really do much of anything for me in terms of migraine. Then there were billing problems. I never went back there, the last time I was in the ER I went to one in the hospital system that has most of my medical records, so I could tell them to look at my chart if they treated me like that. I waited 10 hours (and I didn't fight that because I understand the concept of triage and I had too little energy and too much pain to do that). I passed out more than once in the waiting room, I also passed out I think twice n the treatment room (and they drew blood while I was passed out). This wasn't a level one trauma center, but the ER at their main hospital is and it's a very prestigious hospital.

[A True Kaniggit]

Oh, and another fairly entertaining ER visit. When first time parents bring there newborns in for crying. The parents usually go home after an hour or so when the baby falls asleep. But you can't really get too irritated by this, because you know that they are new at being parents and are just worried about their baby.

[sj4iy]

ATK - not sure if insurance status and knowing the doc in the ER might also be helpful?

Earlier this year was my only other visit to the ER in...hell, 10 years (and that was funny. I broke my pelvis dancing on a bar with a Tarzan rope swing; one of those places where the bartender lights the bar on fire. I drove myself. But, I digress.)

I have fabulous insurance. So: different hospital. Probably a Level 1 Trauma center. Emory University Hospital.

The story:

I had been experiencing heavy feminine bleeding for months. My doc told me to come in if the bleeding caused dizziness, lightheadedness, and if I filled a pad every hour. Well, I was gushing blood clots like I'd just given birth, filling an overnite pad every hour.

So, went in to the doc. Tuesday or Wednesday late morning. They walked me to emergency (office is in the same building as the hospital), and, lo and behold, my gyno is on call!!! He came out to the waiting room to talk to me and tell me what tests they were going to do, as well as that they were going to likely have to give me a blood transfusion to top me up. He explained that all the tests would be helpful in evaluating the need for a hysterectomy (which we were pretty much planning on anyway).

I had a private room, and was in and out of there in 4 hours. I believe my doc expedited things. The cute Physician Assistant even spared me from the usual pelvic exam, because he spoke to doc and since they had done one last week, all was cool.

Had a transvaginal ultrasound, complete blood count, pregnancy test (hahaha - protocol, as PA sheepishly explained), blood transfusion, first dose and prescription (for meds that ultimately did not work, but that's why I had the hysterectomy a few weeks later).

THOSE were good ER people, for an uncommon problem.

Nice :). Love the funny story XD

When I first got sick, I was misdiagnosed with the flu or some variant for several months by regular doctors. When I finally made my way to the ER, the doctor who saw me diagnosed me with just one look at me. I was stunned. He asked to see the palms of my hands (really) and said "You have Addison's disease". When I asked how he knew, he said "your palms are tanned...so is your face and elbows." It was true, and I had never noticed it. Neither did the 4 doctors I went to. But this guy knew it immediately.

So even I have had a good experience at the ER on that the doctor probably saved my life.

[DreamSongs]

I try to remember that when someone calls you out, or for a ride to the ER, they are at the limit of their bullshit meter, for the most part. There is the occasional dug seeker, drunk, and irresponsible diabetic. But, even with them, they need some help

For me, visits to the er are only made worse by the staff. Individuals who have never performed pre hospital care, questioning IV placement, immobilization procedures, and treatments used. That shit gets frustrating. Having some pain in the ass nurse (the bane of my fucking existence) question why I stick a 16 gauge in someone's hand, because now they can't do contrast, when she hadn't used anything bigger than a 22 since her community college days is fucking insulting.

Watching nurses pull a line I worked my ass of to get, because they aren't paying attention during the bed move is fucking dumb.

So Ya. The patients...not so much. The staff? They've got some work to do.

Whoa...kill the vitriol sir. Thank you for getting a line in. The bad news is that JCAHO requires that the floor staff put in a facility recommended IV once the patient hits the floor so it can be documented correctly per JCAHO regulations. This is not the nurses' decision, this is a requirement that we are required to adhere to.

[Nymeria10k]

I tend to avoid A&E as it normally takes around 4 hours to get seen.. I've been twice for myself, both for cuts. First one when I was 10/11 and cut myself trying to cut an apple, the second, when I was 15, I made a stupid decision and cut my left hand right across my palm with a piece of broken glass (I'd dropped it moments earlier). The only time it didn't take 4 hours was when my dad broke his shoulder last June after getting his trouser stuck on a loose brick while on his rounds at work, the brick came loose and he fell. Some idiot obviously hadn't fixed it properly -_- anyway I think they saw him within the hour or something.

[Filippa Eilhart]

Oh, and another fairly entertaining ER visit. When first time parents bring there newborns in for crying. The parents usually go home after an hour or so when the baby falls asleep. But you can't really get too irritated by this, because you know that they are new at being parents and are just worried about their baby.

yeah, a friend recently had a baby and brought it to ER because they thought he was breathing funny. They were treated very nicely and their concern was addressed. She did laugh at herself later but it's better to be safe than sorry /cliche

I've been to ER in two different hospitals in town a couple of times with stomach pains (obviously fearing appendicitis). Both times the whole stay was 3-4 hours, and I was seen by a nurse within 10 minutes. It's a relatively small town (despite being a country capital) so there's probably not that much traffic. Although I'm sure it can get worse than this. I wasn't very happy with the diagnosis the second time (the doctor though I had a bladder infection which I most certainly didn't) but at least they confirmed I wasn't dying, so that's something.

[Er Rn]

I try to remember that when someone calls you out, or for a ride to the ER, they are at the limit of their bullshit meter, for the most part. There is the occasional dug seeker, drunk, and irresponsible diabetic. But, even with them, they need some help

For me, visits to the er are only made worse by the staff. Individuals who have never performed pre hospital care, questioning IV placement, immobilization procedures, and treatments used. That shit gets frustrating. Having some pain in the ass nurse (the bane of my fucking existence) question why I stick a 16 gauge in someone's hand, because now they can't do contrast, when she hadn't used anything bigger than a 22 since her community college days is fucking insulting.

Watching nurses pull a line I worked my ass of to get, because they aren't paying attention during the bed move is fucking dumb.

So Ya. The patients...not so much. The staff? They've got some work to do.

For some CT scans, like a PE protocol for example, you cannot use an IV in the hand, regardless of the size. 1: the contrast is injected so rapidly there is a high chance of infiltration, which can cause compartment syndrome and loss of the hand 2: the timing is often so specific that an IV in the hand is too far away for the contrast to reach the desired location at the correct time.

I'm sure nurses and experiences differ greatly, but in my 10 years of being an ER nurse, our standard IV access was a 18 or 20 in the RAC. You can do all scans, give rapid infusions of blood and fluids, and give all meds through that location. I've never known a single nurse whose go to IV is a 22g unless it's on a small child. Also, a lot of hospitals have protocols in place that certain meds, like Phenergan, can't be given in a hand vein due to the risk of necrosis with infiltration.

So even though many of us have only been educated at community college, sometimes we do have the appropriate knowledge and skill to care for our patients. Pre-hospital care is not hospital care.

You may be great at what you do. You may have had bad experiences with shitty nurses (I'm in no way claiming they don't exist). But I honestly do not get the general condescension and hate you have toward ER staff and nurses. Is it because they question your ability? If you're secure in the knowledge that you're acting correctly, then why bother with what they think? Do you find them incompetent to perform tasks related to their job? File a complaint with the nursing and medical directors if it troubles you so. If they don't listen, move up the chain of hospital administration. If care of patients is the #1 priority and you feel it's lacking, have you taken any serious action to improve it?

[Whitestripe]

So here's my ER story. When my son was about 10 months old, I fell on the ice outside his daycare while I was carrying him out to the car. Knew I hurt myself, but I was concerned because I dropped him in my fall. He was screaming his head off. Went back into the daycare, up the stairs, took off my snow boots and asked if I could use the phone to call my husband. I calmly told him that I thought Henry was fine but he needed to come get me and take us both the the hospital. Husband asked why I didn't just drive myself home and I said "I think I hurt myself. Please hurry," Then I threw up all over my day care provider's kitchen. Husband comes and takes me to the ER. We are admitted fairly quickly, but have to wait forever to see someone. I have shattered my right elbow and broken my left wrist. We wait hours and hours, and the baby continues to scream.The staff gets him a bottle of formula, but he's a breast fed baby and refuses it. They offer a smashed up banana and he refuses because he is so upset. I am totally engorged and my boobs are responding to my screaming baby, but there is no way I can get him latched on with two broken arms. Finally, we cut off my shirt (my elbow is the size of a grapefruit by now) I'm in a nursing tank, which my husband has to unhook for me. He's standing there trying not to jostle either broken arm and hold baby to my breast. Finally, we get the kid latched on, He's slurping like mad, and quiet for the first time in hours. I have sweet blessed relief from exploding boobs .... and the young, male resident FINALLY walks in to examine us about two minutes later. Henry starts to scream all over again because his meal has just been interrupted.

[Which Tyler]

I've only been to A&E the once for myself after taking a beating.

My interesting story came when I took a patient down and the triage nurse refused to accept that anything was wrong because I was a chiropractor and couldn't possibly known what in was talking about, and shed never heard of cauda equina syndrome, so it must be one of those made-up diagnoses chiropractors come up with (and stuck to this after i'd given her the symptoms)

I kept my cool right up until nurse tried to discharge the patient when I just left and grabbed the nearest person with a stethoscope (thankfully she was a dr, not an orderly delivering a steth somewhere). Patient was in surgery within 24 hours.

My most interesting patient (single male) came in with severe burning sensation across the shoulders and upper buttocks, no identifiable cause etc. After taking the history I had no idea what was going on, until the patient took his top off for an examination I was dreading - I had no idea what I was going to do.

Turned out that he'd fallen asleep leaning against the radiator whilst it was cold, and woke up after it was cold again.