This is interesting. (By the way I hear the above person about Grady General, I wouldn’t be caught dead there.)
Anyway, it’s interesting because I went to the ER after vomiting profusely an entire day. My wait was not long compared to those who seemed to be much worse off than me, although I was dry heaving into a vomit bag.
Once I was in the actual ER, in a room, they asked about my nausea and also if I was in any pain. I said yes, in fact, my back and abdomen was killing me due to all the dry heaving. So basically, muscular pain/strain.
Answer: Dilaudid, immediately, along with anti-nausea meds. They offered morphine first I believe, but when it didn’t work, they went on to dilaudid, which works very well I must say.
Also, they have cameras and microphones in those ER rooms, so if you are there due to something illegal, you probably don’t want be discussing it with whoever’s in the room with you.
A buddy of mine broke his femur in a pick-up basketball game. It was nearly a compound fracture, you could see the break under his thigh, which immediately swelled up to well over twice it’s normal size. He insisted it didn’t hurt, but the paramedics basically said “trust us, as soon as the shock starts to wear off you’ll be in more pain than you can imagine.” They gave him morphine before they even had him on the stretcher.
After a long night of pain in my side, I drove myself to the emergency room around 9am thinking
I was having appendicitis. They checked me in and told me to wait (it was busy there). At 4pm
they gave me a CAT scan and told me my appendex was bursting and I had to get it out right away. Finally at 7pm in triage I was given a shot of demerol.
Thats awful, I’m sorry to hear that! My ambulance services actually audits our trips that have abdominal pain and related complaints. They’re looking to see that we gave pain medication (provided it wasn’t contraindicated, of course).
Cite? Unless you tell me you’re abusing a child or elder, I don’t have to tell anyone jack shit about your illegal activity, and unless you give me reason to, I won’t. The only reason I care if you’re doing cocaine is so I know how to treat your racing heart, not because I’m looking to get you in trouble. I’ve never worked in an ER room with a camera.
Some of the regular rooms may have cameras, though. But generally only in the newest, shiniest, most expensive hospitals. Installing cameras and wiring them to remote surveillance facilities is a new trend in hospital medicine. Not to rat you out for illegal activity, but because a nurse is sitting in front of a bank of monitors constantly checking on your medical condition, comfort, vitals as reported by the machines that go Ping! and your physical safety. If you’re doped up on painkillers and trying to climb out of bed with a broken leg, she can press a button and alert me down the hall where I’m trying to give another patient his insulin.
Completely outdated medicine. Also completely and utterly common. I’m so sorry you got that treatment. People suck sometimes, and that includes doctors, nurses and the people who write the standing protocols for the ER.
