What is happening to our healthcare system when a man can sit in the ER for 22 hours without being assisted?

Question

He died there btw.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080820/ap_on_re_us/patient_death;_ylt=AmzwYa6exhi2a9gIwlQzcL.s0NUE

Answer 1

This is not what happens in good hospitals. You may be forced to wait due to triage (patients with the most urgent emergencies are seen first), but nothing like this. This is medical malpractice, pure and simple. There was a doctor-patient relationship, an obligation by the doctor to care for that patient, and neglect by the doctor. They screwed up big time. And punching a patient is just unacceptable.

This, sadly, is an increasing problem.

Answer 2

This is why I pan on offing myself before I have to be put in a situation like this. No really it makes people think that way and it is so sad. There are plenty of good places, but it is these few that make them all look bad.

I sat with my Mom in the Er when she was bleeding out from an Ulcer and they made her lay on the floor in the waiting room for over 6 hours vommiting blood until they finally got her back. The doctor said she had lost so much blood they weren't sure if she would make it. They did the same thing to my Mother in law with her ulcer. She sat outside vommiting up blood for hours before letting her in.

They wouldn't even let my Mom go back in the hospital and sit in a chair.

I should have sued and if she would have died I would have.

My Mom is gone now, but I still get angry when I think of the horrible healthcare and we are paying thru the nose to get descent care.

Something has got to change.  

Answer 3

Blame the politicians, etc. It used to be that we had insane asylums & other facilities for our mentally ill. That is not the case anymore. Now most of our mentally ill are holed up in jails & when they aren't in jails, they are in the waiting rooms of our hospitals. I understand that asylums weren't run very well & that a lot of abuse went on inside them. However, our mentally ill aren't getting taken care of.  

Answer 4

We had a ER Patient who died all alone in the toilet? She was diabetic! What happens is that many people go to ER for silly things. I had the pleasure of sitting in ER for one day and was kinda shocked to state the least. The male sat next to me had gone out drinking then attacked himself with a knife. Another male was intoxicated, sitting it off. Various Mothers with children who had fallen over and were demanding x-rays, as they were sure their child had a broken finger, arm, leg. One Mother who arrived with a child and a bottle of Caustic Soda, child was in a push chair, sucking a dummy. Mother handed child and bottle to Doctor and left, I assume cheap child care facility? Tourists with rashes and neck pain. In fact at 2pm a Elderly man arrived with his wife. He had been having chest pain since 2AM, wife drove him and went to park the car. One minute he was stood, then down he went massive heart attack. He died. The wife arrived and asked me if I saw her Husband? At 3pm, the place looked like a Picnic Area, as Mothers took food and drinks out for their children? Hey look if the child is eating, how much can be wrong? Therefore people who abuse ER are distracting the Staff from those who really need ER! The problem therefore is now, who is the real Patient and who is the person who could have been seen by the local Family PCP? Best of Luck

Answer 5

I am so sorry!!! That is totally unacceptable and totally disgusts me. I can understand a few hours but 22 hours. That hospital need to look at it services to the community. I know and understand that ER and be very crazy and busy but there are often times that thing slow down. I know this doesn't help your situation but our healthcare system is pretty good and your situation is rare. Depending on where you live can have a lot to do with ER services.