Everyone say it together...

[Faze2]

Pt came in this morning at about 11:00 AM. C/O she stubbed her toe in a door last night causing about a 0.5cm lac between her 4th and 5th left toes. She came in this morning because she "Woke up and saw that the cut was still there." Patient arrived by......Everyone say it together......Fire Rescue!!!!


Thank God those brave souls risked life and limb to get this obviously emergent pt to the hosptial so she could get a band aid and some polysporin. Makes you feel warm inside. If I were the paramedic, I think I would have blasted the siren and run red lights just to screw with the patient.

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[DropkickMurphy]

If I were the paramedic, I think I would have blasted the siren and run red lights just to screw with the patient.

Nah, a 14 or 16 in each AC probably would have done more to that end.

 

[southerndoc]

If I were the paramedic, I think I would have blasted the siren and run red lights just to screw with the patient.

Why put the public at risk of an accident?

 

[Jeff698]

Why put the public at risk of an accident?

Not to mention yourself.

Emergency traffic is the biggest threat to EMS personnel in the vast majority of locations. I'm a huge fan of priority dispatch and non-emergent responses because of this.

Take care,
Jeff

 

[Flopotomist]

I also think that non-emergent cases like this, the ambulance company should have the OPTION of collecting the full fare for the ride up front before transport.

"Ma'am, we will be happy to take you to the hospital for your stubbed toe - the cost of your ride will be $750. Before we leave, we need payment in full -we accept visa and mastercard."

 

[southerndoc]

I also think that non-emergent cases like this, the ambulance company should have the OPTION of collecting the full fare for the ride up front before transport.

"Ma'am, we will be happy to take you to the hospital for your stubbed toe - the cost of your ride will be $750. Before we leave, we need payment in full -we accept visa and mastercard."

Or just simply give them a cab voucher or call a cab for them.

 

[EM2BE]

Or just simply give them a cab voucher or call a cab for them.

With my luck lately, the person would be on the edge of septic and forgot that the cut they got was a few weeks ago not a few days ago.

 

[Faze2]

Not to mention yourself.

Emergency traffic is the biggest threat to EMS personnel in the vast majority of locations. I'm a huge fan of priority dispatch and non-emergent responses because of this.

Take care,
Jeff

Okay, I was just kidding about the whole siren thing.

 

[Flopotomist]

Or just simply give them a cab voucher or call a cab for them.

I like the idea of calling the cab for them - not so sure I like the idea of passing out cab vouchers though. Seems like a cost-inefficient way to run the business (call us, we drive to you and hand you something worth money).

 

[Snoopy]

I had a woman this morning who called EMS to bring her to the ED because her pharmacy had given her generic Norvasc instead of the brand name Norvasc.

 

[146233]

I had a woman this morning who called EMS to bring her to the ED because her pharmacy had given her generic Norvasc instead of the brand name Norvasc.

I would have just put a post-it over the label that read, "Norvasc. It's going to work," and had her sign the refusal. And then I would have ripped up some of her flowers on the way out.

-z

 

[a_ditchdoc]

When I was a medic I had those patients that needed a cab, or a swift kick in the butt, because they refused to ride in their own car to the hospital. Occasionally you would see four cars in the driveway before someone inside, usually a young male, would tell us "I threw up twice, I want to go to the hospital."

Often I suggested a cheaper alternative, a cab. Once I offered to extract a tooth with dirty vice grips. I had one guy that had been constipated for one week but the laxatives began working just as we arrived. He insisted on going to the emergency room because he was not willing to emit such an enormous load into his own toilet. It was frustrating to say the least but I never refused if they insisted. It was a slooooow bumpy ride to the hospital with screams of "HURRY!!" in the background. I placed him on the triage bathroom with 40 people outside.... ohhhh, the sounds you could hear!

My favorite ER physicians were the ones that would automatically add two hours to the patients wait for each time we were obviously abused. One wrote a note to the nursing home stating "Do not ever call an ambulance again for this patients bleeding hemorrhoids." (36 year old male, ambulatory)

 

[southerndoc]

One wrote a note to the nursing home stating "Do not ever call an ambulance again for this patients bleeding hemorrhoids." (36 year old male, ambulatory)

Why is a 36 year old ambulatory person in a nursing home?

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Why is a 36 year old ambulatory person in a nursing home?

Could it be a ******ed patient perhaps?

 

[chimichanga]

Why is a 36 year old ambulatory person in a nursing home?

common SNF pt these days: "spider bite" to LE, and qualified for PT and IV abx...

because, if we sent him home with the picc line...

SNFs are full of these toads these days...you know the kind...they'll hover around the med cart every 2 hours, and CHEW their percs up like candy...literally chew; sounds like Captain Crunch...

Gotta love medicaid

 

[a_ditchdoc]

The nursing facilities where I worked started taking mentally deficient people, schizophrenics, alcoholics with seizures, and the like. Some of the patients would actually leave during the daytime to walk around the streets or grab a few drinks. They returned by late afternoon so they would not get into trouble. I started to notice when we started responding to more violence related calls at the nursing facilities.

These are just the people I would love to have around my frail granny. Who the hell thinks this stuff up? Medicaid at it's best...

 

[blotto geltaco]

One of the dumbest calls that comes to mind from my old days on the meat wagon was for a pt. who called 911 from the waiting room of an ED. He was unhappy that he had to wait longer than he liked to see a doctor. The hospital that he wanted to be taken to was directly across the street, I mean it was a 1 minute walk across a 2 lane street. I refused to take him, the only time I flat out told someone they couldn't get in my truck. I should have called the cops on him.

 

[roja]

NYC is rampant with abuse. It took me over 2 years to get 'used' to the cab service mentality that happens here.


My favorite story? A guy called 911 because he started having sex with his girl and 'she smelled down there.'. She actually got in the ambulance, came to the ED, got triaged, and then REFUSED to be examined saying she didn't call the ambulance!

 

[AmoryBlaine]

A pt of mine was complaining to me about his ambulance bill the other day (he probably did need to be on the Big Red Bus when he came in). I feel like printing out this thread and saying, "this is why you can't afford the ride."

This is what happens when you legislate health care as a right and fund it as a privelege.

 

[docB]

Okay, I was just kidding about the whole siren thing.

No. Do the lights and sirens. Just do it the safe way. Park in front of the pt's building and leave 'em on throughout yor assessment and packaging. By the time you're ready to load all the patient's neighbors will be out at the curb bitching about the noise and being woken up. Then you come through yelling, "Make a hole! Toe pain comin' through!"

 

[docB]

I had one guy that had been constipated for one week but the laxatives began working just as we arrived. He insisted on going to the emergency room because he was not willing to emit such an enormous load into his own toilet.

Well we already knew that our insulin, tylenol, oxygen and lunches were better. I guess it's our toilets too.

 

[Arctic Char]

haha, good thread - but check this out: i have a classmate (!!!!) who called an ambulance because he/she slightly cut themselves on the hand. apparently, the medics arrived and . . . puzzled, asked if he/she wanted a ride to the hospital . . . haha. i guess my classmate was furious about it . . . but thats just ridunculous