If, like a fool, you decide to come into the ER for flu symptoms, here is what will happen. First we'll mark an "L" on your forehead for loser. If there are a lot of flu symptom people there, and you have symptoms too, there may be someone at a desk by the door passing out masks. Otherwise you will get a mask at the triage window. You will have to wear this mask during your stay. After you are triaged, no doubt your butt will go back to the waiting room to wait with all the other masked fools who decided to come in for flu symptoms. If there are growing numbers of you waiting in the waiting room, you will all be put in a separate room to wait together.
Once you are in the room, we will put you in isolation: a sign that says "droplet precautions" (flu is airborne) will be placed on your door. Everyone who enters your room will be wearing a mask and gloves.
The doctor will assess you. If you are not short of breath, haven't had a fever for more than 3 days nothing will probably be done for you. If you have been vomiting for a few days, you may get an IV. If you are chronically ill, you will probably get some blood tests and a chest xray. LET ME REPEAT, healthy people WILL GET NOTHING except maybe a prescription for motrin and a boot out the door.
You will not be tested for the flu. We aren't testing for the flu. You will not be able to tell you friends that "yeah I had H1N1". Your diagnosis will be "influenza like illness". You will have wasted your time, our time. You will have taken our attention away from the REALLY sick patients.
If yesterday is any indication, you will probably spend 3-4 hours in the waiting room waiting for us to do nothing for you. Our daily census was up 50% yesterday. We were bursting at the seems. Stay home. Get your flu shot.
7 comments:
I guess I'm really confused -- the media has been hyping the story about H1N1, scaring everyone with the possibility of death, especially in children. Yet every medical blog I visit indicates that you're an idiot if you even THINK about going to the ER, no matter how sick you are. Why not issue objective guidelines to the public, like a temperature of ? and vomiting for over ? hours, etc.? I know that there are some people who assume they are dying if they have a little sniffle, but there are plenty of people who would abide by the guidelines if you would just tell us what they are! Or is this a secret that only privileged medical personnel know?
Classof65
I guess I'm not a loser than. :)
I was diagnosed with flu on Friday and barfing, falling asleep yesterday. My husband kept trying to take me to the ER and I refused.
Now, if it were my baby throwing up after having a fever for 5 days, I would risk being a loser.
We were bursting at the SEAMS.
I will seek and find you..
I shall take you to bed and have my way with you.
I will make you ache, shake & sweat until you moan & groan.
I will make you beg for mercy, beg for me to stop.
I will exhaust you to the point that you will be relieved when I'm finished with you.
And, when I am finished, you will be weak for days.
All my love,
The Flu
Dear Anonymous: The vast majority of people with either flu will be sick for several days and then recover just fine. A small percentage of people with either flu will get really sick and/or die. The difference between them is that in that small percentage the regular flu kills mostly elderly people and H1N1 kills a higher percentage of younger people, but still a very small number. Dr. Dino has a good post about flu (dated Sept21). I'm too lame to be able to link to it. But this is her summary of when to call your doctor or go to the ER: "Leave it at this: If you have anything in addition to fever, headache, body aches, slight sore throat and cough, get them checked out. If that's all you have, suck it up and wait it out." Remember, it is common to have nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea with H1N1.
I would add if you have serious underlying health issues (especially asthma, COPD or being treated with chemo)then come in sooner. If you are a generally healthy person wait until you feel short of breath walking a short distance, have a really stiff neck with high fever (so bad that you can't tuck your chin to your chest), or are so dizzy you can't walk at all. It can be confusing trying to distinguish between illness that can kill you and illness that just makes you wish you were dead. Hope that helps.
-whitecap nurse
I like the way you think! Nurse, Toni
I took my 16 year old daughter to the ER last month because I was worried she had the swine flu. Fever, cold chills, fatigue, aches, etc...waited patiently to be seen and they tested her for swine flu; she was positive and the Dr. said that it was "good" the I brought her in because they caught it early and he gave her an antibiotic pack. Now your saying that the nurses thought my daughter and I were losers? My daughter has a compromised immune system and has been hospitalized multiple times for illnesses caught because of it. No, I don't feel like a "loser" for bringing her in; and I'd do it again.
Post a Comment