r/emergencymedicine • u/Asleep-Palpitation43 Nurse Practiciner • Feb 02 '25

Advice Allergy Olympics

Is it wrong that if I see a patient has more than 10 allergies I IMMEDIATELY assume she's (bc it's always a she) a psych case?

In 24 years I've never been wrong.

You'll never read this in a textbook but add it to your practice today and thank me later👍

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317

u/Single_Statement_712 Feb 02 '25

I am going to have a bowel movement. He is going to code.

181

u/Nurseytypechick RN Feb 02 '25

"I need to poop. Get me into that bathroom." Most fear inducing words ever from sick as shit patients and laboring mamas who I'm waiting for OB to come get lol.

I had a tiny little Asian pregnant gal who was intensely quiet/inward focus and I could see her belly contracting while I was hanging with her waiting for OB... she looked up at the restroom next to us and said "can we go in the bathroom?"

I very quickly explained change of plan, we were gonna check her in the ED and have OB meet us lol because people in her state who suddenly need the bathroom are about to poop out a fresh human... she was very nice and let us swoop her into the bay. I was expecting to see crowning... she was at 9cm with a small lip per the OB who came down so we made a run for the elevator and up to L/D with the doc with us who cheerfully said if we had to deliver in the elevator she was happy to do it lol.

That was a fun one!

33

u/harveyjarvis69 RN Feb 02 '25

We delivered a baby in the ER just an hour and a half ago. My coworker checked on another nurses patient (came in for abdominal pain) pulled up the blanket to see a HEAD! Young patient, didn’t know she was pregnant. Umbilical cord also was coming, they tried to push that in but ended up just pulling it all out. Baby cried, NICU was mad we didn’t know she was pregnant (pt just got there).

Wild!!