Emergency Room Protocols and Turning people away

gscraig · 11-16-2009, 10:31 PM

This is based on two experiences communicated to me from a relative who went to the emergency room with flu like symptoms.

As of Thursday evening a relative went to an emergency room at roughly 2:00am, and after being chareged the co-pay, was then seen by a doctor and told immediately that she cannot be treated due to not having a fever. She explained that she's been feeling really sick, tired, and the last time she started feeling this bad, she ended up with bronchitis and the flu. She sated that she wanted to prevent that from surfacing. The doctor handed her a prescription, and told her that's all he can do. He left the room with the witnessing nurse and my relative overheard the nurse commenting to the doctor that he could have at least did some tests. I asked her if the emergency room was crowded and she stated only two people were there. Ultimately, they left. She did not fill the prescription, stating that it was expensive cough medicine.

The next morning she contacted the CDC (out of all places) to complain and they said that they would send a form to her to complete and contact the ER personnel involved. She also now had a fever, and managed to get a anti-biotic prescription called in.

She also tried contacting her private doctor whom office and personnel were all gone on a retreat. nice.

Now, as of Sunday evening November 15, she started feeling sick again and her fever was back and up to 103. She decided to go to the same emergency room again, being that she had a high fever. After being assessed her co-pay (which is an expensive co-pay) she saw a doctor and once again was told that he cannot treat her. He also acknowledged seeing on her file that she was there days prior and the complaint from the CDC. I again asked her, how many were in the waiting room, and she said "none", it was empty. Similar to the first time, the emergency room is likely empty because peope ar
e being turned away.

This became an ordeal with security ultimately being called to have her removed. However, she did say that the doctor while rambling had commented that "They've been adamant about them (doctors) not taking certain patients". Who "they" are, I don't know.

Today she saw her private doctor and didn't get tested either, but was given some instructions. Her private doctor told her that the Health Department has communicated that they can only test persons whom are chronically ill. She commented that the ER doctors should have at least gave her thermaflu, but she could not give it to her now, because it's really being given to those with H1N1, and concluded that she didn't have that.

This seems to be the first response initiative via the declared National Emergency (at least in the state of Ohio). I can see a variety of reasons good and bad as to why this is being done, but the bottom line is,...Unless you are sick (regardless of ER occupancy, which was the precedence via the declared National Emergency) you are basically on your own.

11-16-2009, 10:31 PM	#1
gscraig Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 335	Emergency Room Protocols and Turning people away This is based on two experiences communicated to me from a relative who went to the emergency room with flu like symptoms. As of Thursday evening a relative went to an emergency room at roughly 2:00am, and after being chareged the co-pay, was then seen by a doctor and told immediately that she cannot be treated due to not having a fever. She explained that she's been feeling really sick, tired, and the last time she started feeling this bad, she ended up with bronchitis and the flu. She sated that she wanted to prevent that from surfacing. The doctor handed her a prescription, and told her that's all he can do. He left the room with the witnessing nurse and my relative overheard the nurse commenting to the doctor that he could have at least did some tests. I asked her if the emergency room was crowded and she stated only two people were there. Ultimately, they left. She did not fill the prescription, stating that it was expensive cough medicine. The next morning she contacted the CDC (out of all places) to complain and they said that they would send a form to her to complete and contact the ER personnel involved. She also now had a fever, and managed to get a anti-biotic prescription called in. She also tried contacting her private doctor whom office and personnel were all gone on a retreat. nice. Now, as of Sunday evening November 15, she started feeling sick again and her fever was back and up to 103. She decided to go to the same emergency room again, being that she had a high fever. After being assessed her co-pay (which is an expensive co-pay) she saw a doctor and once again was told that he cannot treat her. He also acknowledged seeing on her file that she was there days prior and the complaint from the CDC. I again asked her, how many were in the waiting room, and she said "none", it was empty. Similar to the first time, the emergency room is likely empty because peope ar e being turned away. This became an ordeal with security ultimately being called to have her removed. However, she did say that the doctor while rambling had commented that *"They've been adamant about them (doctors) not taking certain patients"*. Who "they" are, I don't know. Today she saw her private doctor and didn't get tested either, but was given some instructions. Her private doctor told her that the Health Department has communicated that they can only test persons whom are chronically ill. She commented that the ER doctors should have at least gave her thermaflu, but she could not give it to her now, because it's really being given to those with H1N1, and concluded that she didn't have that. This seems to be the first response initiative via the declared National Emergency (at least in the state of Ohio). I can see a variety of reasons good and bad as to why this is being done, but the bottom line is,...Unless you are sick (regardless of ER occupancy, which was the precedence via the declared National Emergency) you are basically on your own.