How Many Times Can You Fall Off a Ladder?

While Chair of our department, I had occasion to review the medical records of one of our patients. This review prompted me to write the following memo to our doctors:

This patient has been seen many times in our ED for various complaints. She usually reports an injury, as you will see below. In spite of these visits here, she always checks in with a Reno, Nevada address. She is frequently prescribed narcotics. Please keep this in mind as you have occasion to deal with this lady in the future.

Here is a list the dates and chief complaints she gave when registering:

2/92            dental pain

9/91            car crash

1/95            twisted ankle yesterday

3/95            car crash

3/95            fell last night while taking the trash out

7/95             slipped on newly waxed floor yesterday

11/95            car crash

3/96            fell onto shoulder

4/96            fell from ladder

7/96            dental pain

8/96            fell getting out of the tub

11/96            garage door hit head and neck

1/97            fell off snowmobile yesterday

4/97            fell off ladder 2 days ago

5/97            hit with a 2 by 4

6/97            fell attempting to put bolt in an engine

7/97            hit ribs on truck hood when fell off a plastic chair

8/97            fell off ladder yesterday

9/97            fell off ladder yesterday

10/97            struck in ribs by car door opened by granddaughter

10/97            fell off ladder today (17^th)

10/97            fell off ladder two days ago (30^th)

11/97            slipped and fell yesterday

1/98            fell off ladder two weeks ago

2/98            fell on U-Haul ramp this morning

4/98            slipped on linoleum floor two days ago

5/98            slipped on stairs last night

7/98            fell from chair

7/98            fell onto rocks yesterday

9/98            fell onto buttocks yesterday

11/98            slipped yesterday and hit chest on counter

2/99            bumped chest wall on edge of chair two days ago

4/99            fell against a corner of a refrigerator at 4:00

5/99            slipped and fell at Laundromat

7/99            slipped and fell in kitchen two days ago

8/99            fell down steps yesterday

9/99             fell from ladder yesterday

10/99            fell down stairs yesterday

12/99            fell in bathtub yesterday

2/00            fell off ladder yesterday

3/00            dropped box of books on wrist yesterday

10/00            fell from ladder