Dear John/Jane Q. Public: You have the flu. That sucks and is a shame, etc. Its a bad year and right now ERs are filled with people with the flu. Which is stupid.
ATTENTION ALL FLU VICTIMS:
Follow this closely:
DO NOT, REPEAT, DO NOT, COME TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR YOUR FLU SYMPTOMS UNLESS YOU ARE:
1) >98 or < 1 years old
2) are dying
There is nothing we can do for you people. You are just going to have to ride it out. You are going to have to do what people used to do in the old days: rest, fluids, perhaps chicken soup.
You are clogging up ERs right now, leaving less beds for the truly sick. Your mother could be having a heart attack and we don't have a room for her because you and your flu are taking that bed.
If you do come, you will wait for hours in the waiting room with a mask on your face. That doesn't sound very fun does it?
One last thing, DO NOT call an ambulance for flu symptoms. It will not get you a bed in the ER any faster. You will go out to the waiting room with everybody else.
That is all. Go about your business.
And don't forget to thank them for infecting everyone they came into contact with on staff, in the public restroom etc. How do you get to be a mid-adult and not know how NOT to cough or sneeze?? Aggravating for sure!
ReplyDeleteYou know what there is nothing that irritates me more than triaging someone and having them cough in my face. I mean, cover your damn mouth people. This is not rocket science.
ReplyDeleteDo you at least take the opportunity to mock them for not getting a flu shot? I mean, they're available at frikkin' Wal-Mart for $20!
ReplyDeleteIt is about lack of common sense, intelligence and any kind of responsibility, I would say. At least 30% of people come to ER for nothing more than could be done at home, with widely available remedies. It leads to "abuse" of staff and financial resources. I know people who would come to ER just to get social!!! Kind of attention they lack at home...as long as they have good insurance coverage. People do not care to infect other people, because they think only about themselves. I know real story when guy came to ER with serious complain as chest pain but because of over busy flu season, he had to wait and ended up with heart attack in waiting room... Sad, very sad. Kids need to be educated in high school about available remedies and way to help yourself.
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