I was in the emergency room with my husband yesterday. It got quite busy after we got there. Anyway a young guy comes in who had cut his hand. He said he was in pain. After waiting a while he became quite upset--saying he was in pain and why were they taking everyone else before him. He started cussing and security ended up escorting him out. After he settled down he did get to come back in and was finally taken in the back to be seen. I was wondering shouldn't the hospital prioritze how they see patients instead of taking them as they come in? I would think a severe cut should be seen right away compared to a bad cold or flu. Just wondering.
Emergency Room at St. Mary's Hospital
- Thread starter granny45
- Start date
The do triage patients, at least they use to. The first person, after the admitting cleark at the desk you see is the triage nurse (that room off to the left). I will admit they do have lapses, but typically that happens when they are busy or on a shift change.
They were very busy. That is what he got upset about. Waiting quit a while to see the triage nurse.
They do triage. What the impatient man with the cut on his hand may not have seen was the patients brought in by ambulance, who may have had much more serious injuries or conditions. Chest pain, until ruled out as not an active MI, or trouble breathing that is not something extremly serious, will take priority over a cut hand.
libertytyranny
Dream Stealer
TRIAGE. Look it up. ERs do not admit people as they come in. They triage patients based on strict guidlines. A cut on the hand is likely to be at the end of the list. chest pain, pregnant women woth complications, trouble breathing, stroke symptoms etc ALL take precendence over a cut. As they should.
If morons would stop going to the er for things that aren't emergencies...these things wouldn't happen. But as it stands they can only move people through so fast.
edit. FYI triage starts with the check in desk..and is moved into higher level triage with the triage nurse.
desertrat
0_0
Yep, they wheel people in pretty bad shape in the back door more often than people walk in the front I'll bet. He should have just slapped a tourniquet and pressure on it and settled down. Lose less blood that way.
kwillia
n/a
That was exactly my first thought... he could have very well been a regular visitor who often ends up injured and hollering for pain meds... especially since they involved security. It would make more sense for him to stress that he is bleeding than that he is in pain.
libertytyranny
Dream Stealer
you have NO idea how fricken common that is. Best part? we get to pay for their pain meds. They almost never have insurance.
Usually, though...it is abdominal pain, headache, or back pain they come in with for the meds. Screaming, cryiong about the pain...ten minutes after they are in a room the whole family shows up with kfc and they chilla nd watch tv while getting doped up. Seen it a billion and a half times. Though we HAVE had patients who have taken to hurting themselves to get drugs. Notably a woman who slammed her hand through a window to get drugs. She was totally effed up on pills before she did it, so she didn't feel it..but wanted to make sure she had a source for more.
Not saying it's this guy's case though. Sounds more like it was really busy and he was low on the priority list. Such is life.
Toxick
Splat
I've been told a very bad cut doesn't usually hurt. So if they in pain, it must be good right!
Have you never had a very bad cut?
Allow me to be the first to assure you that very bad cuts can, indeed, hurt like a mother ####er.
jenbengen
Watch it
Typically, he would have been seen ahead of them. I was there yesterday, as well, and they had some very serious things going on all at once in the back. They prioritize...he wasn't 1st priority. Oh, and we were there over 5 hours. I didn't complain because I saw what was going on. It's not the ER's goal to upset patients or make them wait in pain It was just a bad day there.
ginwoman
Well-Known Member
I was in the ER yesterday with my mother. We were there between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. She was taken in by ambulance. I must say that the two times I have been at the ER recently with my mother, the staff, all of them, could not have been nicer. Yes, they were busy, Yes we had to wait quite a while while tests were being run but we were OK with it because we know they were doing their best.
Annoying_Boy
New Member
My apologies...
He got bumped because I had an erection that lasted for more than four hours yesterday.
jenbengen
Watch it
I agree with you. They did kindly apologize for the wait time and were all incredibly nice and helpful. They said they've been slammed for about a week now. I am a bit curious why so many people were there with the sniffles. Isn't there a clinic they can go to instead of tying up the ER?
chernmax
NOT Politically Correct!!
My apologies...
He got bumped because I had an erection that lasted for more than four hours yesterday.
well that confirms it, you are just a big prick
TurboK9
New Member
That, and pain... pain isn't going to kill him. If he isn't gushing blood by the pint and/or showing symptoms of shock, etc, he may as well have stubbed his toe for triage purposes. A cut on his hand unless it severs an artery, etc isn't going to kill him, and waiting a few hours isn't going to matter a whit to his treatment... So back of the line, bub.
People forget that not only is the ambulance area usually seperate from the ER and full of much more serious stuff, but many things that seem minor to a layman can be indicative of serious health issues... such as a bump on the head combined with nausea / vomiting... it'll look like just a little sickness to a bystander, but could in fact indicate bleeding in the brain... :shrug:
BOP
Well-Known Member
TRIAGE. Look it up. ERs do not admit people as they come in. They triage patients based on strict guidlines. A cut on the hand is likely to be at the end of the list. chest pain, pregnant women woth complications, trouble breathing, stroke symptoms etc ALL take precendence over a cut. As they should.
If morons would stop going to the er for things that aren't emergencies...these things wouldn't happen. But as it stands they can only move people through so fast.
edit. FYI triage starts with the check in desk..and is moved into higher level triage with the triage nurse.
You'd never make it in Southern California, where the illegals use emergency rooms for regular doctor visits.
And they're packed to the rafters most of the time.