Top 20 frivolous Calls

[46Young]

I was wondering if we could establish a top 10 or top 20 frivolous calls in EMS.

I'll start:

Last week, we were toned out at 0230 for the male in a BMW c/o being cold and wants to be checked out, literally one block from the station. U/A, the male was in the back seat. My partner and the cops approached him. The pt said that he had been drinking at the corner bar, wanted to sleep it off, and wanted a blanket. Then he got belligerent with the cops and my partner, who actually gave him a blanket (I wouldn't have). Then we left him with PD.

As luck would have it, the pt was still in the car as I was leaving the station, and there was a cop up the block doing a speed trap. I told the cop the story, and told him that he shouldn't let the guy drive. The cop told me thanks, and then backed up to the car, got out, and gave the guy a hard time. That was too perfect. If the guy wasn't nasty to my partner and the cops, I probably wouldn't have taken it that far.

 

[Shishkabob]

Recently?

The middle aged female who called because she had a Pringles crumb stuck between her tooth and gum for 9 hours.

 

[Veneficus]

I'm in

I think my best was being called for "vomiting blood"

My partner and I arrived to find a man who came home late drunk and his live in girlfriend pissed at him for missing the dinner she made to surprise him. (pasta and red sauce)

Apparently he vomited after hastily trying to consume it to placate her.
(Which only made matters worse for him)

So needing help he called 911 at 0' dark thirty. (I don't remember the time, but it was after last call)

As he walked to the ambulance to be transported, he moaned to his girlfriend he might be dying and please be with him in the hospital.

Once inside the box, he motioned to my partner, who was driving, and asked "How do I get a girl like that?"

To which I could only reply: "first you have to graduate highschool."

He gave a defeated sigh and muttered "damn, that always gets me."

At the hospital he was walked in and triaged to the waiting room.

 

[Epi-do]

Let's see.... There's always the "I ran out of my prescription and need a refill." Those people always want to go to the county hospital so they can walk over to the clinic and go to the pharmacy once they are dropped off at the ED. And of course, my personal favorite - "I smoked some weed and now I feel funny."

 

[DesertMedic66]

32 y/o perfectly healthy female calls 911. Fire and ambulance get there at the same time. Patient wants her b/p and BGL tested. She has no medical history of HTN or Diabetes and does not have any kind of complaint today :glare:

 

[Medic Tim]

Getting the weekly weekend calls to the police station for pts who think they will not go to jail if an ambulance is called. The most common one I see is ppl claiming to be diabetic when they arent. then freaking out when they realize their plan isnt working.

 

[JDub]

I was riding with my local volunteer squad one day and we got toned out for a hemorrhage in the next town over. When we arrive we find a middle aged female who had recently undergone a surgical procedure and wanted some more 4x4s and transpore tape to cover her perfectly fine and not bleeding incision, so she didn't have to go to the store to get some. She said if we didn't have any that we could just take her to the hospital and she could get some there.

 

[Niccigsu]

1st ride along got a call for mvc. Arrived on scene to see no damage to the car. We transported 2 passengers who couldnt keep straight what was actually hurting.

2nd ride along the other day got a call for child hit by a car. Get to the scene and it turns out the child ran into the side of a stopped car and wasn't actually hurt. Didnt transport this 1.

Same day we get a call to treat a pt stating she was pepper sprayed. Get to the scene and she had clearly not been peppered sprayed. I go to flush her eyes anyway with saline and she complains that burns more than the pepper spray. Turns out she had stolen a car and got caught and thought if EMS came she wouldn't have to go to jail.

 

[Sasha]

I feel sorry for the cop who ran this call... but we did a psych transfer for a guy who jumped in a lake, walked out, jumped in again, walked out, jumped in one more time, walked out and called the police.

When he was asked why... He told them the doctors told him he had a terminal illness and that made him sad so he wanted to die.

Wtf.

You're sad because you're dying but let's speed up the process.

For someone who jumped into a lake three times he stunk to high heaven.

 

[Handsome Robb]

Patients with a documented history of seizure disorder who are non-compliant with their meds then we get called when they have a seizure...


Drunk bums who are too drunk to go to the tank.

The guy who tripped over the curb and got a bit of road rash on his hand today and was standing on the street corner smiling and waving as we pull up and asks for a bandaid and turns and walks away...after we and the FD came code 3 through downtown during rush hour.

 

[Shishkabob]

2 weeks ago, got called for someone bit on their leg by an insect, hours before. No complaints aside from minor redness and a raised bump.



Known system abuser. Didn't transport.

 

[Epi-do]

Some other things I have been called for:

1. "I need help getting into bed and no one here will help me." (Three other able bodied adults were in the house.)
2. "We just wanted to know what the roads are like before we drive the baby to the doctor."
3. "I am not sure how to fill this out. What do I do with this form the police officer gave me?" (Six hours after the MVC, and referring to the mandatory proof of insurance form Indiana requires every driver to file after and accident.)

 

[Handsome Robb]

Some other things I have been called for:

1. "I need help getting into bed and no one here will help me." (Three other able bodied adults were in the house.)
2. "We just wanted to know what the roads are like before we drive the baby to the doctor."
   [*]"I am not sure how to fill this out. What do I do with this form the police officer gave me?" (Six hours after the MVC, and referring to the mandatory proof of insurance form Indiana requires every driver to file after and accident.)

I would not hesitate to get PD involved in either of the two highlighted options.

For #2 they are going to get a strong tongue-lashing from myself and a PD officer if one was readily available. I wouldn't hesitate to talk to a cop about 911 abuse formal warning being issued either. Don't endanger my life, my partner's life and all the other drivers' lives on the road while we run code 3 for a call like this.

#3 That's a police or DOT issue. Not my problem or job. PD can deal with it.

 

[firetender]

If memory serves...

My all-time favorite went pretty much like this:

Called to a motor vehicle accident at an intersection. Clearly no more than a fender bender. Car #1, everyone inside, calm, but a little shook, no signs of injury. Outside of Car #2 (driver's door open), a woman is in the street, bending over, howling in pain, "My neck...my back...my NECK!!" She goes to her knees. On my approach I look into the car to see if there's anyone else. Nope, no one, but sitting on the back seat was an uncovered, unwrapped flat of 18, undamaged, untouched, perfectly aligned, raw EGGS!

I think it was the first time "I" refused transport!

 

[mycrofft]

There can be a fine and blurry line between infuriating and frivolous. That line may actually be imaginary. There are dozens of headstones erected annually saying "I told you I was sick", especially regarding inebriated, incarcerated, stupid and stinky people.

 

[johnrsemt]

Severe pancreatitis patient; who when he drinks it causes severe upper abd pain, into the chest.

He drank and called 911 over 400 times in 1 year

 

[Shishkabob]

Just got sent on a call where the only complaint was insomnia starting last night....

 

[MedicBender]

Top 2 off the top of my head would be...

Toned out at 0030 during a snow storm for a woman experiencing toe pain. Her big toe had hurt for 3 weeks. She had stubbed it in the bathroom. Rated pain 2/10. Decided midnight in a snow storm was the best time to go. She ended up being transported in our utility truck because our ambulance was stuck in the snow.

Second would be a call at 0500, called for a guy who drank 3 beers the night before and now felt "slightly nauseous". Turfed to BLS.

 

[WolfmanHarris]

This won't make any sense, but don't worry it didn't at the time.

Picture the middle of a heat wave, one of the hottest, sunniest days of the year. Called Code 3 (Non L&S), can't remember the chief complaint, PD also attending.

Arrive at the address and waved down by a lady ~60 y/o old, outside the residence and across the street. Pull up and roll down the window. (From here I'll try to remember as much of the dialogue as possible.)

Me: Are we here for you Ma'am.

Pt.: Can you take me to M---- (nearby town; I'm thinking the hospital there)?

Me: What seems to be the problem ma'am?

Pt.: I need to go to M-----.

Me: (Now out of the vehicle with partner) Okay, we can't take you to any hospital without knowing what's going on. Do you have a problem?

Pt.: I need to get to M----. How am I going to get there?

Me: I'm not a taxi or a bus ma'am, I'm happy to take you to receive medical care, but we will not be transporting to M--- Hospital, we will be going to S---- Hospital (another town and our closest transport from here). I need to know what the problem is though.

Police are now on scene at this point. Pt. begins rambling about anything and everything, can't remember exactly what but kept bouncing back to going to M----l.

Finally the cop reaches into his pocket and gives her $3.00.

Cop: Ma'am this will pay for your bus ticket and can get you there.

Pt. takes it and continues to ramble for a few minutes. All of us are now drenched in sweat. Pt. seems disinclined to leave.

Cop: Are you going on the bus or what?

Pt.: I was going to go get a sandwich.

Cop: Then I want my $3.00 back.

Pt. hands it back and now says she lives with people who steal from her and do drugs and that "Larry" was threatening to kill her. We continue to talk with her and two officers head to the house to investigate. Rambling continues. Sweating continues.

Me: (Looking to end this) Ma'am, would you like to go to the hospital, cool down and maybe discuss these issues with someone? They might be able to offer you some solutions we can't. Maybe help you get around town better or find another place to live? (I'm laying it on real thick despite my mounting frustration and heat exhaustion.)

Pt.: *Looks at me like I've grown a second head, returned to rambling*

Police come back and say the house is empty and that it doesn't look like anyone else lives there or has.

Cop: Ma'am, your house is empty and safe to go back into. It's time to go relax and cool down.

Pt. continues to ramble about "Larry"

Cop: Go Home.

Pt. relents and starts walking into her house, stops at a couch on the front lawn turns to us.

Pt: Who will get rid of this?

Me: I don't know. Not us. Not my problem. Have a nice day.

I have never cleared a scene to get back to base and be second up so fast. I couldn't oblige seeing her again that day and I knew a call back was coming.

 

[MedicBrew]

Just got sent on a call where the only complaint was insomnia starting last night....

:rofl: i ran on her last night!!!!

For some reason she had issue with it at 0400..

I know I did...