Need information about ER for my story?

Question

The character in my fiction has committed suicide. I want him to live BUT I dunno if I should let him leave the bottle of pills in sight or throw it away (bcz the reaction of the person finding him unconscious would be different with each scenario)

SO... I need to know... what will they do FIRST in the ER when an unconscious patient has come in.

What are the chances of them finding out he's committed suicide if he throws away the bottle? REMEMBER... I want my character to live...

tnx in advance

Answer 1

Well the medics who arrive will look for any stray medications lying around when they come to pick him up. They do all sorts of tests to determine why he is unconscious such as O2 levels, blood sugar, trauma, etc. When they get to the ER, the medics will have some kind of back story to explain why he is there and that is what the docs will work of. You will never have "just a guy unconscious in a hospital." The medics will ALWAYS have a back story to why he is there and they, and the hospital staff, will act accordingly. So if there are any sort of clues lying around the room, they'll be picked up on. Remember, theres more to a suicide than just the means of death.

Answer 2

If your character has committed suicide, there's no chance he will live , ER or not. He's dead for God sake!

Answer 3

Are you really writing a story or are you planning to harm yourself?

As an ER RN, I can tell you that whether or not we know what you took, we will always send a stat urine test that checks for many street drugs/narcotics even alcohol, some prescription drugs. There are also signs that can be instantly seen w/out a test that would indicate the use or overdose of certain classes of drugs, and there are meds that we give that will quickly reverse the harmful effects of the drugs.

And FYI, if the person is unconscious, therefore still has vital signs, they have not committed suicide, they have attempted it. If the person dies then more often than not the medical examiner will be able to figure out it was suicide.