Kooks

Cat Feces A 51-year-old man came in by ambulance. When I walked in the room, I immediately noted a foul

While I was serving as the Chair of our emergency department, one of my duties was to keep the medical

In our society today, people go to the emergency department for about anything they might need. If you look back

A young man came in as a trauma patient after having been stabbed multiple times. At first glance, the worst

Usually, kids with abdominal pain and vomiting do not have worrisome medical problems. Most of the time, they have eaten

My mother-in-law says, “Things always come in threes.” I don’t believe that but I can’t help notice coincidences in my

Police were called to a home where a naked 27-year-old man was causing a disturbance. He reportedly threw a dresser

An emergency physician, by training (and, for me, by nature) wants things to be simple and straightforward. Often, patients show

A 47-year-old woman came into the emergency department one evening. The “Chief Complaint,” as recorded by the nurse, was “Pain

Steven Colbert does a segment on his “A Late Show” that he calls “Meanwhile.” It is a collection of little

Steven Colbert does a segment on his “A Late Show” that he calls “Meanwhile.” It is a collection of little

Steven Colbert does a segment on his “A Late Show” that he calls “Meanwhile.” It is a collection of little

Steven Colbert does a segment on his “A Late Show” that he calls “Meanwhile.” It is a collection of little

I was called into the room to see a young, healthy woman who had abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea for

I have seen some pretty bad hair in my years in the emergency department. I am not talking about a

Working in the emergency department can be dangerous. It is a stressful place for everyone. Many patients are impaired from

This is a complaint that a patient submitted to Customer Service at the hospital. Customer Service sent it to me

Maybe you are tired of hearing stories about drunks, but I am afraid any blog about emergency patients is going

Vomiting Blood A 22-year-old man came in saying he had been vomiting blood for several hours. He also had abdominal

A young man came in about 3:00 in the morning worried he had overdosed on medicine for pinworms. He said

A middle-aged man with a black eye and scrape over his cheek sat on the gurney, obviously upset. He said

My patient was a 60-year-old woman with lower abdominal pain. Her evaluation led to a CT scan which showed a

A thirty-five-year-old man with a history of drug and alcohol abuse as well as mental illness, eloped from a long-term

As I come up with stories to share with you, I often pick them to exemplify different challenges we face

After 27 years of working in a big, urban hospital, I switched to a small, community hospital. The biggest adjustment

A young man and woman were having an argument. She pulled out a switchblade knife with intentions of using it

The Deadest Person It was the end of my shift and I was just leaving Slidell Memorial Hospital in Louisiana

The Insanity of My Addiction Paramedics were called to a house where a twenty-six-year-old man was having a severe allergic

Fireballs of the Eucharist Early in my emergency medicine training, a woman came in screaming because of severe abdominal pain.