helmets are not optional

[Tuckervill]

That may be true, but the other problem with people going to the ER for things like that is that it contributes to overcrowding and long waits in the ERs. A lot of people seem to think it's OK to go to the ER for minor/non-emergent things because they know they'll get treated and possibly for free, but it really isn't appropriate use of the ER. That's what urgent-care centers are for.

I've used the ER three times since I've lived here. That's 3 times more than the last 10 years before that.

Because we don't have urgent care centers. We have walk-in clinics, but they don't have xrays or do stitches, and they're not open 24/7.

Karen

[Jolt]

I've used the ER three times since I've lived here. That's 3 times more than the last 10 years before that.

Because we don't have urgent care centers. We have walk-in clinics, but they don't have xrays or do stitches, and they're not open 24/7.

Karen

I guess I was referring to the walk-in clinics when I said "urgent care". Stitches and possible broken bones are perfectly reasonable things to go to the ER for (and some ERs now have a "fast track" section for those types of patients, separating them from the more acute ones); things like the norovirus (unless it's a young child and they're getting dehydrated) not so much. People with that type of issue (or other more minor things that sometimes show up in the ER) should go to the walk-in clinic--if they have to wait until the next morning it's not going to hurt anything.

[OakLeaf]

Oh, that's hard! I hear ya - but that's still hard.

I don't go to the ER for just anything, and I've got the kind of pain threshold where when I spilled hot oil and melted my carpet, it didn't really hurt my foot; when I cut my thumb so deeply I had a scar contracture for a year, it didn't much hurt my hand (and I kept on cooking after I got the bleeding stopped), and I never needed medical care for either one of those.

But when I had food poisoning a couple of weeks ago, another eleven hours of moaning in pain with a headache that ultimately Demerol and a liter of fluids helped but didn't eliminate (actually I think mostly it made me stop caring about the headache), and the most miserable nausea you can imagine - sorry, another eleven hours of that wasn't in the cards.

No, I wouldn't have died of it. But to say that was an abuse of the ER is just hard

Mostly what I've done that I would consider an abuse of the ER is when my PCP has refused to see me for a sprain because "I'd have to send you to the ER for X-rays anyhow." I wonder how in tune ER staff are with the state of primary care in this country.

[Jolt]

Oh, that's hard! I hear ya - but that's still hard.

I don't go to the ER for just anything, and I've got the kind of pain threshold where when I spilled hot oil and melted my carpet, it didn't really hurt my foot; when I cut my thumb so deeply I had a scar contracture for a year, it didn't much hurt my hand (and I kept on cooking after I got the bleeding stopped), and I never needed medical care for either one of those.

But when I had food poisoning a couple of weeks ago, another eleven hours of moaning in pain with a headache that ultimately Demerol and a liter of fluids helped but didn't eliminate (actually I think mostly it made me stop caring about the headache), and the most miserable nausea you can imagine - sorry, another eleven hours of that wasn't in the cards.

No, I wouldn't have died of it. But to say that was an abuse of the ER is just hard

Mostly what I've done that I would consider an abuse of the ER is when my PCP has refused to see me for a sprain because "I'd have to send you to the ER for X-rays anyhow." I wonder how in tune ER staff are with the state of primary care in this country.

Sorry if my previous post came across as a bit harsh--that's the problem with typing things rather than saying them sometimes. I agree with you that a lot of the problem is the state of primary care. As far as your food-poisoning incident, from what you describe it sounds like it was worse than the standard stomach bug (which is more what I was thinking of in the previous post) and I can't really blame you for going to the ER in that case. Again, apologies if my post was offensive.