#1
They will feel way better and not get stuck up there. There is no excuse to still be shoving the bottle of Tylenol up there. You don't want to end up in the hospital...or with autism.
#2
1. Stop buying your kids trampolines. They have never been, and never will be, safe.
2. Electric bikes are motorcycles. Wear a helmet at the very least.
#3
If you feel that your life is actually in danger, you must go to the emergency room. However, if your health problems are minor and can be solved by phoning your doctor or seeing them in person, talking to a pharmacist, or by yourself at home, you shouldn’t bog down ER workers with your issues. Of course, some situations can be in a bit of a grey area. Or you, as a patient, might not be educated enough to know what counts as a real emergency.
For example, Concordia University states that you should immediately seek emergency help if you suffer severe physical trauma after an accident, lose consciousness, have sudden chest pains, severe abdominal pain (especially combined with a fever), are short of breath, or have sudden strong headaches.
You should also go to the ER if you experience sudden numbness in your arms or legs, have blurred vision, or have a rapid pulse while resting when not emotionally stressed or after exercise.
#4
🙄.
#5
#6
IllNopeMyselfOut:
This is crazy to me. How is having it tested by other people at the ER less embarrassing than buying or especially if you can buy online?
A sudden amount of pain or a rapid deterioration of your health is probably an emergency, and you should be safe rather than sorry. However, being slightly uncomfortable is not an emergency.
As per Concordia University, you should not go to the emergency room in situations when your life is not in danger, like when you have a mild cold or flu, small burns, cuts, or scrapes, or minor aches or pains. You also should not head to the ER to get your prescription filled.
At the end of the day, if you’re unsure of what (not) to do, get in touch with your family doctor, a pharmacist, or your health insurance company.
#7
K-Tanz:
This one is wayyyy more common than people think. Usually people will beat around the bush and have some fake complaint, but every once in a while someone will just straight up tell you in triage "I'm hungry". That and exposure to the elements. I've worked ER in Denver in winter and Phoenix in the summer and there's constantly someone there for "man, it's just too hot/cold out there".
#8
#9
We’d like to hear from you, Pandas. What is the biggest medical emergency you’ve ever experienced? On the flip side, have you ever seen anyone in the ER who most certainly wasn’t having an emergency? Have you ever gone to the ER only to realize you panicked over nothing? What about the opposite, where you thought you weren’t in danger when your life was actually at risk?
Meanwhile, if you’re a medical professional, we’d also like to hear some of your best and worst work stories. Feel free to share yours (anonymously of course) in the comments the bottom of this list.
#10
#12
#13
The worst are the ones who call 911 because they think they'll get into the ER faster. Sorry, triage exists for a reason lol. Enjoy your 6 hour wait.
#14
#15
Bringing both your kids to the ER because one is getting a cold and the other one is surely going to get it soon. They want both of them to be treated. Neither of them will get any treatment if it's just a cold.
One guy told me when I asked him what brought him to the ER, that he had a hangnail on his toe. I guess I did a bit of a double take and he said, defensively, "my feet are important to me."
basically, treating the ER as a minor clinic and refusing to set up a relationship with a primary care doctor.
#16
No, we do not know how long the doctor will be before they see you. *No, it does not* mean staff do not care about you.
You’re going to wait.
You absolutely DO NOT WANT to be the first priority immediately taken back to a room, cath lab, or operating room. Those patients are gonna be popular real quick because their last minutes could potentially be in that ER without **immediate** intervention. It’s one of the *most emergent* emergencies.
No matter who you voted for, our current HHS system’s deliberately harmful policy changes have absolutely messed you up, me, your mom, healthcare non-professionals ^yes ^they ^are^ professionals, and anyone else who needs healthcare.
#17
Booked in as a head injury, was actually dandruff and was an emergency because they couldn’t sleep.
Abdominal pain ongoing for 20 years, no change in severity at all. Turned out to be trapped wind.
Took Nytol and got drowsy…
Step parent had a massive heart attack and they wanted to make sure it doesn’t run in the family
A blister on their foot from poorly fitted high heels.
#18
There was this family ahead of me with a baby, maybe 1-? Showed no distress. They were talking about what was wrong with it, saying it could have been “all that shrimp” she ate, or maybe the lobster or crab meat.
#19
○ you or your child has a low grade fever. you have not tried tylenol
○ you had a stomach ache yesterday, but now the symptoms have gone away (why are you here???)
○ you know you have acid reflux. you ate taco bell, now it is worse (this has happened with TWO PATIENTS now, both stated that it got worse after TACO BELL. what did you expect???)
○ your toe hurts. you didn't drop anything on it and don't think it's broken.
○ you need a medication refilled
○ you are having normal, mid-cycle cramps
○ you have a charlie horse
○ you are not sure why you're here, you just 'thought you should come' (this happens more frequently than you'd expect)
○ you have a small, superficial cut. the bleeding is under control. you cut yourself with something like a non-rusty kitchen knife.
○ you want a pregnancy test (you can buy one at the store)
○ you just got a positive pregnancy test... nothing else.
#20
It’s really hard on the parents but it can wait until a medical clinic opens in the morning. You’re just exposing your child to all the gross bacteria of the ER for nothing.