Rude Patients

[rescuecpt]

So today, I had a patient who wanted to RMA (Refuse Medical Assistance). His family called it in as an overdose, because he took 15mg of Ambien between 2 and 3am, and at 1pm he still couldn't get the strength to get out of bed and move around.

He was very adamant about not going, and I wasn't going to force an old 250lb man to go to the hospital. Because he was 74, I had to call medical control for permission to let him refuse. They agreed, and I had him sign the RMA. He suddenly started being nicer, so I said "are you sure you don't want to go for a ride with me?" He said "I'd go anywhere with you." I said "Great, then you'll come with me to the hospital and get checked out."... and he.... GAVE ME THE FINGER!!!

So I told his girlfriend to keep an eye on him, and if he doesn't improve please call back, we'd be glad to come back and take him in.

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On another call, I had a diabetic push me repeatedly, call me "Ma'am" (I was 23 at the time) and threaten to have me arrested. I didn't fight back because of course I was too professional for that. It took a firefighter and a cop to stop her from assaulting me.

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I laugh about these now - does anyone else have any wacky stories like this???

 

[SafetyPro2]

We had a 5150 patient a couple weeks ago who started beating one of my partners with an emesis basin in the ER (on the gurney but not restrained). She'd jumped out a second story window at home earlier in the week and we transported her, then she "escaped" from the hospital and ended up back at home which is when we were transporting her the second time (since she'd never been released, she was still under 5150).

My sister, who's a nurse, recently had a 350 pound lesbian patient start hitting on her when she was trying to insert a Foley catheter.

 

[Luno]

Most of our rude patients are people who are other than A&O, i.e. OD/Diabetic/ETOH, etc... However, I do remember, as my partner referred to it as "naked fat guy wrestling" with a 40ish male who was assaulting his mother (lord knows why PD didn't make an appearance). There was another time we had a Diabetic hemmed up on a closet floor while the medics pushed D50, which when he came back around apologized profusely. There was a crackhead who had taken a little too much inhalation, and blacked out, but when we tried to move him woke up, and was convinced we were killing him, (PD tried pressure points, me and my partner took him to the ground as well) btw, he was also naked. And then there was the DUI, who wrecked his car in someone's yard, then was trying to fight the neighbors, decided he was going to try and fight us (difficult when you're CC/BB, and restrained), and was a general nuisance 'til we got him to the hospital, but his mood changed quickly once we told him we were calling his wife (he just wrecked her car, he also was pleading for us not to contact her), this patient was 40ish. Now to anyone else, how do you handle patients that are A&O, and want a ride to the hospital, but won't let you treat them, and refuse to answer basic Hx questions?

 

[rescuecpt]

Now to anyone else, how do you handle patients that are A&O, and want a ride to the hospital, but won't let you treat them, and refuse to answer basic Hx questions?

If whatever they called in for requires treatment, even if they won't let YOU give it to them, get them somewhere where they can get treatment (ie the hospital).

 

[PArescueEMT]

I agree that people are much worse than human nature dictates when intoxicated (or should I say chemically enhanced.)

I had one a few years ago with me riding as primary on a BLS for an MVC. Car v. Paddy Wagon.

When we pulled up, the patient (who had been drinking jack from the odor on her breath) kept insisting that she had calld us to take her home. when I looked for PD to explain what was going on (yes, she denied the MVC and believed that she was broken down despite the flashing lights in her face), I realized that they were all hiding in front of the wagon laughing 'til they couldn't see straight.
So as most EMS personnel know and understand, out came Monty Hall. I made so many deals to get her to comply (reminding her of some of them several times) and finally transportedher to the ED as a trauma transport. When we got there (after many trials with the medic and I) she proceded to claim that we kidnapped her and told PD to arrest us since we didn't take her home.
I don't know how long she had been out, but I have a sneeking feeling that she won't be doing that anytime soon.

 

[EMS Maniac]

Originally posted by rescuecpt@Aug 22 2004, 08:49 PM
So today, I had a patient who wanted to RMA (Refuse Medical Assistance). His family called it in as an overdose, because he took 15mg of Ambien between 2 and 3am, and at 1pm he still couldn't get the strength to get out of bed and move around.

He was very adamant about not going, and I wasn't going to force an old 250lb man to go to the hospital. Because he was 74, I had to call medical control for permission to let him refuse. They agreed, and I had him sign the RMA. He suddenly started being nicer, so I said "are you sure you don't want to go for a ride with me?" He said "I'd go anywhere with you." I said "Great, then you'll come with me to the hospital and get checked out."... and he.... GAVE ME THE FINGER!!!

So I told his girlfriend to keep an eye on him, and if he doesn't improve please call back, we'd be glad to come back and take him in.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

On another call, I had a diabetic push me repeatedly, call me "Ma'am" (I was 23 at the time) and threaten to have me arrested. I didn't fight back because of course I was too professional for that. It took a firefighter and a cop to stop her from assaulting me.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

I laugh about these now - does anyone else have any wacky stories like this???

Toned out for a 28 yom - possible Herion overdose. Sure enough we get on scene and find him unconscious, respirations are about 8. We bag him while the medic draws up his trusty Narcan. Narcan onboard - patient wakes up and proceeds to punch me in the face (blackened my eye). Once he really is alert and some what oriented he advises me that it's my fault that he punched me. I ruined his high!
Now that was a rude patient!!! :angry:

 

[SafetyPro2]

We had one a couple weeks ago that was toned out as an OD with PD on-scene. When I got there, the door to the apartment was closed (a BC and a FF inside along with a couple cops), and the rest were standing outside because it was apparently deemed better to limit the number of people inside. Door opens and we catch the tail end of our FF trying to convince the patient to go with us to the hospital...she's got major raccoon eyes and is very agitated. She kept refusing, so PD finally gave her a choice...either she went voluntarily, or she went in cuffs. She chose the later. Her neighbor starts giving us grief about why we're taking her if she doesn't want to go, until the PD Sergeant says "Ma'am, you're interferring with a police officer...you don't want to do that." and she says "Oh, I didn't realize you were the police, I'm sorry." as if it's OK to backtalk FD, but not PD.

We got her on the gurney, and I'm at her feet carrying/wheeling her to the ambulance. About 10 feet from the door, I notice that she's unbuckling the gurney belts. It then dawns on me that she has the cuffs dangling from ONE wrist. I called the nearest cop over who proceeds to re-cuff her...apparently, her wrists/hands were so thin that she pulled out because the cops were trying to be nice and not cuff her too tight.

<sigh> I just love ODs.