Been to an ER lately?

Dave H (MI) · Jan 18, 2016

So the post earlier about Michigan temperatures and all the ice we have hit home. The better half was walking alongside her car yesterday on the driveway and hit the ground so fast and hard she still doesn't know what happened. A couple of her lower teeth went thru her upper lip and tore the lip almost to her nose. So off to the ER...where we stand in line behind a woman who had brought her little boy in because he had been coughing for four weeks. Looked like he could make it to the pediatrician on Monday but....who am I to say what is an emergency and what is not. Three to four hour wait anticipated...actually only took two...but what is wrong with people? A cough??? Four weeks???

Mrs H is fine. Seven stitches and looks like holy heck but I think she will heal just fine. I just cannot get over the stuff I saw people coming in to the ER for.

lee little · Jan 18, 2016

What really bugs me is when you see some idiot turn their little kid loose to play in the floor of the E.R. waiting room. I have seen this more than once. The best one was in a Ky. hospital waiting room {not E.R.} last year. Older unkept guy in charge of a 2 or 3 year old letting him wallow all over the floor and every place else. Kid sort of went off to himself and appeared to be straining a little,old guy totally unaware of the whole situation. Once the kid finished filling his britches to his satisfaction he marches over to the guy , reaches into his pants and shows him a large handful of the results! I absolutely laughed my head off. I only hope it taught him to watch the kid a little closer. I hope your wife makes a speedy recovery.

coshoo · Jan 18, 2016

The ER is, and has been, the po' folks health insurance. ER can't turn anyone away because they're indigent, so that's where everyone goes who has no insurance and can't pay. Most ER's will "triage" the folks, so the most urgent get in first. But not always. Little guy can't go to the pediatrician on Monday, because they can't pay, and ped won't see him. Its "the system", whether we like it or not.

Mark - IN. · Jan 18, 2016

A couple of months ago. I went to bed with an itchy eye, woke up and it was swelling shut. By the end of the day it was black and blue, really swollen shut like a ping pong ball, hurt, was seeping. Was on a Sunday, so I looked up fast, in and out, gome home after immediate care clinics with my good eye, but they were all closed. The answering service on one turned out to be a local hospital, and when I described it, they said I should come into the ER. I went into the ER that Sunday night, they gave me shots and and a couple of IV's, then told me that they wanted to admit me for overnight observation. I didn't get out of there until Wednesday evening because of some sort of infection throughout my body that I didn't even feel with high white counts and low red counts, this and that and a whole lot more shots and IV's. They wanted to keep me until Thursday, from Sunday but my counts got good enough that they let me go. Next time? I'm not going to the ER. If my eye ever does that again, I'll duct tape an ice pack on it for a couple of days.

Mark

dhermesc · Jan 18, 2016

We had/have foster kids with Medicaid for their insurance. Local doctor's office refused to see them because the reimbursement rate was too low. We asked DCF what were supposed to do with them - we were told to take them to the ER where their coverage can't be refused.

Dick2 · Jan 18, 2016

People will also call 911 and have the EMT's come to them for treatment because the doctors will not treat them.

Cory Schmidt · Jan 18, 2016

Last time I was in was a month ago on a Saturday evening, didn't seam to busy, maybe they were. Why I went you ask?, a pig got me. climbed into the pen to get something, pig being usual pest, went to climb out he bit. Just after I got out of the pen, I just started to pull pants leg up, my SOCK was RED!!!. Limped to the house and got my pa and we was gone. Its surprising how many little signs you can find to read in a ER room while waiting. Three stiches and about 3hrs later, of course had to have a Tetanus shot and got put on some antibiotic sugar pill(surprisingly used half of them in the time frame prescribed).

The pig was loaded in the trailer to had to auction(on Tuesday) on Sunday, my brother came over to help. Got a whole dollar check for 325lb boar.

Pair-a-dice farm · Jan 18, 2016

Hope everything heals up well. My last ER visit was 3 years ago. I had a sick steer that I was running through the head gate. He lunged, I pulled down the handle and the next thing I know is the steer is running to the back of the barn and my left arm is numb. It's Sunday so off to the ER with a dislocated shoulder. 4 hours and $6000 later I'm sore but fixed up. That was the last calf I ran through that chute and head gate. I bought a new squeeze chute and auto head gate.
Normally if I can poke the organs back in I don't go to the ER. I got hit in the head with a falling limb a few years ago that left me with a 4" gash in my head and knocked me out for a few seconds. After cleaning it up I used about a tube of neosporine and a half dozen butterfly bandages and saved the doctor bill.

bigbob1939 · Jan 18, 2016

Mark. IN. Coming from a person who has a real problems with infections. If you do have an infection and do not go to Dr or ER you may end up six feet under. Nothing to mess with. BigBob

Chuck (CA) · Jan 18, 2016

Here in Our area (Central Valley, Northern California)the ER's all have Triages like coshoo said, and with a few exceptions, they treat the most critical first. But, it cracks me up to see the ones who use it as a doctor's office all using multiple smart phones while they wait.

Mark - IN. · Jan 18, 2016

Bob, I was just joking about not going to the ER. I don't unless I need to, and the last time before that was about 30 years ago when I smashed a finger and it exploded. If I need to go, I will. This time I guess its a good thing that I did. I ended up in the hospital a few days because of it. The last time I spent any night in a hospital as a patient was when I was a little kid getting the tonsils removed. I've been pretty lucky, mostly healthy. Thanks for the thought just the same. Good luck to you.

Mark

Frank41 · Jan 18, 2016

Have taken my wife to the BIG hospital in Urbana, IL serval times for a fib and flutter. I had a ladder slide out from under me and fell 10' and broke my left humerus close to my shoulder in Sep 2014 at the begining of harvest. This last summer I had a mini stroke that I thought was low blood sugar. Diabetes nurse talked me into going to the ER. They took blood, CAT scan, and EKG. After a while the dr said I could go home, so I started getting dressed. He came back and said that he was looking at the wrong EKG and he was going to admit me. It kept getting worse. They did tests on me and never telling me any of the results. Then the third day, they were going to do a heart cath and never told me. Thats when I called my wife to come and get me. I gave the "Hospitalist" and later the main cardiologist an ultimatum, that they could discharge me or I was walking out. I got the discharge with wording that I was going to die from the widow maker problem that I was suppose to have. I went home and rested for three days and went to Springfield, IL. Found that I have a PFO, third nerve palsy in my right eye and needed a stent. Night and day difference.

Dave H (MI) · Jan 18, 2016

I have to say, I am not much different. Six months after a tree half removed my ear and the bill was thousands, I was changing the drop tube on the old drill and ran the retainer almost all the way thru my hand...diagonally. About an inch long flap. I cleaned it up and poked it back together and taped it up as best I could. Left a scar, but cost me nothing. Well...took a long time to heal up fully.

VicS · Jan 18, 2016

I resemble that remark! Watching kids isn't my strong suit.

K Effective · Jan 18, 2016

Last time I went was after tearing the second achilles tendon, 2007. I knew what it was, since it was only two years after tearing the right one. I went to the ER as it was a Saturday afternoon and the orthopedic was closed. Shoulda waited, as my surgeon was not on call, but, his partner was. He wasn't busy, so we did the surgery that evening. Completely different from the first, and not in a better way.

John_PA · Jan 18, 2016

That's HORRIBLE! I hope she will recover well. It's a helpless feeling when you slide on ice, on foot, or otherwise.

I hear lots of stories from those close to me who are emt's or in healthcare. My favorite is when people call the ambulance to take them to doctor appointments, when they really just need to call a cab.

I go to Sewickley Hospital for emergency visits. Google Sewickley Heights to know why. They just filmed the movie "The Foxcatcher" in that area, for exterior shots of the mansion and all that jazz. Generally speaking; it is clean, fast, and professional to a different level. I'll go to a feed mill for baler's twine, but when I need someone to drill rust out of my eye, I wouldn't go to the same neighborhood where people dress up to go to Walmart - the "fancy store."

the mick · Jan 19, 2016

My wife has worked in the same E.R. for 26 years and she's complained more and more every year about that problem. People don't use the E.R. for just emergencies anymore,then they complain that it takes so long. Sad

JRSutton · Jan 19, 2016

The people filling up the ER with non-emergency issues are usually the people with no insurance. Hospitals have to treat everybody that comes in, whether or not they have a real name or any form of ID to use for billing purposes. So for the uninsured the ER is free primary care. And free ambulance rides are a lot cheaper than a taxi.

Once in the ER, they have a triage process to prioritize patients, so if you're really hurting you'll be treated before the guy with a sore throat. But not always. He may have already waited 8 hours before you got there, and might get taken in before you.

Sorry to hear about your wife - sounds very painful. Hope she recovers quickly.

Mike M · Jan 19, 2016

So was she quizzed as to how she got these injuries ? Were they trying to lead her on like - do you feel safe at home, how often do you and the Mr. fight, etc. Seems like this is the standard procedure anymore.

Dave H (MI) · Jan 19, 2016

Funny you say that! She has to return to work tomorrow and I was telling myself in the mirror this AM to get ready for a lot of accusatory comments. A couple years back she bent over to do something and broke her front tooth on an old t-post. A couple before that she walked into something in the shop and got a pretty good shiner. This particular time she is telling everyone, including me, that "she can't remember what happened". Oh yeah...that sounds good.

Fortunately, except for the chipped tooth, a person would have to be a lefty to have inflicted these things. I am a dedicated righty but I doubt I could dent a pillow with my left fist nor could I do that much damage with my right. OH well...can't stop people from thinking...

Tim in OR · Jan 19, 2016

My first wife was disabled, and needed to go to different doctors 3X a week average. She had gone in for cataract surgery, and the Dr. nicked a blood vessel behind the eye. Nothing serious overall, but it gave her a shiner to beat all shiners. I took her to a Dr's appointment a couple days later and the Dr's assistant asked what happened. Wife laughed and said "Tim did it". Before she could explain the truth, the assistant got in between us and said they would make sure I never did that again. Kinda made me nervous for a couple minuets.
Tim in OR

W_B · Jan 20, 2016

Had a trip to one last year courtesy of the Columbus FD. They thought I might have had a seizure (I didn't). Treated me real nice, no waiting. I guess when they haul you in the back door you get looked at quicker than coming in the front under your own power.

mj · Jan 20, 2016

(quoted from post at 17:42:14 01/18/16) So the post earlier about Michigan temperatures and all the ice we have hit home. The better half was walking alongside her car yesterday on the driveway and hit the ground so fast and hard she still doesn't know what happened. A couple of her lower teeth went thru her upper lip and tore the lip almost to her nose. So off to the ER...where we stand in line behind a woman who had brought her little boy in because he had been coughing for four weeks. Looked like he could make it to the pediatrician on Monday but....who am I to say what is an emergency and what is not. Three to four hour wait anticipated...actually only took two...[i:705d8f8300]but what is wrong with people? A cough??? Four weeks???
[/i:705d8f8300]
Mrs H is fine. Seven stitches and looks like holy heck but I think she will heal just fine. I just cannot get over the stuff I saw people coming in to the ER for.

And if it was your kid ....... then what? :roll:

Owen Aaland · Jan 20, 2016

The last time I used the I used the Urgent care facility I didn't make it through the pre-admittance interview. By the time they had taken blood pressure and temperature readings they took me in the back where they could monitor me until a hospital room was ready. That gave me the impression that they took cellulitis pretty seriously. I spent four days there. the first two with intravenous antibiotics. It left me with the impression that they don't waste time if they think something is
really serious.

Been to an ER lately?

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