My brother in law is a doctor and some of the stories he can tell about the ER are mind blowing. Some people as already posted, a sinus infection, constipated, an ingrown toe nail, things they could go to their family doctor for but because they have a state card or have no intention of paying for services rendered anyway, just go to the ER. He had one lady who had to wait for an hour to get in and chewed him out because she had missed the Jerry Springer show. She had a cold...
The worst of the worst are the pill heads. Their back always hurts, give me something. You pull their records and many have a record of an MRI and xrays and nothing is present but give me a scrip for pain. What a waste of time for doctors.
On the other end I had a lady friend in her early 60’s who is normally quite healthy turn violently ill from pain in her side and stomach one evening and she eventually had to go to the ER, as she was in agony. She described her pain and the doctor examined her, ordered no tests and walked out of the room.
The doctor walks back in and hands her a script for pain meds and she said what is this? Oh a prescription for the pain take it and if it still hurts go to your regular doctor or come back tomorrow. She wadded it up and threw it at him and said I am not some damned pill head looking for a hit, now you either try and find out what is causing this pain or send me a real doctor who will!!! He sent in another doctor. Turns out it was her gallbladder needing removed.
“Pat him on the head, give him a sugar pill and send him home with a referral to a psychiatrist.”
I believe the patient is a drama Ka-Ween.
Next day he was getting out of the tub and almost fainted from the pain. I took him back to the ER. Somewhere between six and eight hours later they finally decided to do a CAT. Mainly because I made it plain that I was not taking him home again. He was in so much pain that I knew something was seriously wrong.
I was ready to turn the doctor upside down and shake until answers fell out.
Appendicitis not gastroenteritis.
Oops!
Emergency surgery and it burst as they were bagging it.