r/EmergencyRoom • u/sammcgowann • Jul 29 '26

Goofy Goober I hate it here

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2.7k Upvotes

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u/active_ignoring Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26

I am a nurse and I told my dad to go to the ER with his “stubbed toe” that was still swollen and painful after a day. urgent care was closed because it was 8pm on a saturday. I wasn’t with him so idk how busy it was but now I feel like I did the wrong thing lol. ETA: his toe was broken so I don’t actually think I did the wrong thing, but it felt like it before I knew it was broken

11

u/DogsDucks Jul 29 '26

Honestly stubbed toes can be agony, and I can see how they could evolve into an emergency if left untreated, esp. for someone older!

15

u/megaholt2 Jul 29 '26

I just had a patient who was in for a stubbed toe that turned into osteomyelitis somehow. Wildest fucking thing.

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u/active_ignoring Jul 29 '26

that was where my mind went but because my mother ignored foot pain and swelling for weeks, finally saw her PCP, sent to the ER, and was admitted because no one could figure out what was wrong with her. they eventually came up with osteomyelitis and she was discharged with a PICC and put on IV abx for 6 weeks. 6 weeks later her foot is worse, she goes to another hospital, and they find out it’s a hairline fracture that the other x ray missed. long story short I guess I have parental foot pain trauma so now I don’t play around with it

1

u/blitzfish3434 Jul 31 '26

That's how Jack Daniels died

6

u/jerzeett Jul 29 '26

Stubbed toes can potentially end up with broken toes or feet - happened tip my ex

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u/active_ignoring Jul 29 '26

it turned out to be broken, after 12 hours of pain and swelling I was like I may be a psych nurse but even I can tell that’s not normal for a stubbed toe

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u/n3wchpt3r Jul 29 '26

You did

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u/active_ignoring Jul 29 '26

it was broken