Life is like a sandcastle something beautiful here for awhile & then gone, but the impression it makes on others can last forever.

Friday, January 27, 2012

7 Hours in ER, Really??

After having pain in her arm, it got hot and began swelling. My mom said she thought it may be a blood clot and went to the ER. This was at 2:00 PM and at 4:00 PM I arrived to check on her, sure that she would have seen the Physician by this time. She said no, not yet, I asked her to leave and go to the next county hospital she said "it want be much longer now." I thought maybe not but, I'd already dismiss our small town hospital when my son was an infant and we was put in a room on hold for six hours until the doctor felt like coming in and this was on a very slow night. The county over had us in and out in one hour, they have great time management at that hospital.

9:00 PM she was finally called to an ER Room, this hospital does not have that much action, they just see a patient every 45 mins to my opinion. Thankful she only has cellulitis and not a clot. I've never shared publicly but, my mom has had Lupus for years. She is recovering good and said she will never use this ER again due to their poor time management in the ER.

I was upset to see a very elderly man spend 7 hours in a wheel chair also. This man was around 70 to 80, how sad. His family had left him there and I saw them come in a few hours later. Other patients in the waiting room helped the old man to the bathroom and made the nurse get him a snack.

5 comments:

Mary said...

It's ridiculous. I feel sorry that the elderly man had to get a stranger to help him to the restroom. Why would his family just leave him?

MTgunfighter said...

I am sorry your mom had to wait. I am glad her condition wasn't serious.

I worked in emergency medicine for 30 years. In large hospitals in urban areas and at a small regional hospital.

There is a lot going on in the ED that most people don't see. Like boarders, (people waiting to be admitted); waiting for x-rays; CT/MRI scans; waiting for lab, etc. Then waiting some more while the radiologist reads the x-rays; waiting for specialists to arrive and waiting for patients to be admitted.

Patients are seen in the order they present and based on triage. It is impossible to quantify a 'normal' amount of time to see, treat and determine an appropriate disposition for a patient. Hospitals spend huge amounts of money determining how to reduce waiting time with variable success.

Hospitals are money making organizations. Any staff that sat around would be laid off.

We try to do our best to see patients in as timely a manner as possible. If you are suffering from a serious complaint, we will see you immediately. If not, unfortunately, in the face of limited time, talent and resources, some times people have to wait.

Leah O. said...

Ugh! There seem to be very few good hospitals.

I can see why you would be annoyed.It seems unless you get brought in by ambulance you have to wait an hour or FIVE!

Glad your mom was okay. I remember riding to the hospital when my stopped breathing once. She was okay, but I was only 16 and it freaked me out. I am glad we had the ambulance take us in, lest she had passed out on the ER floor.

karenb834 said...

Also glad that your mother is okay and it wasn't anything more serious.

Most hospital I have found are too busy worrying about where the money will come from then your life. Not all Hospitals are Caring, (some maybe have caring employees, but most employees don't give a crap) they are only concerned about getting a paycheck. If I were you I would definitely send a letter to the person in charge of the ER Room and the Hospital Administrator. I too once took my mother to a local hospital where we spent an enormous length of time only to have her mis-diagnosed. Believe me a letter went out immediately.

Again greatful that your mother is okay, take care and God Bless

PoniLinda said...

ER rooms is a joke. They make you wait around forever, then they don't really do anything except for giving some tylenol and after all send you $1K bill. For what? Ridiculous!
I almost had my baby in ER room.ridiculous