the Cost of Emergency Room Visits for Injuries

I arrived at the emergency room early in the day. I had gotten a fish hook in my finger and as it was a barbed hook I could not get it out. It would need to be cut out. Also, I had not had a tetanus shot in a good while. After filling out the paperwork, I was told to wait in the waiting room until they called me.

In the waiting room, I was the only one there. It is a small hospital and the emergency area is limited. I saw or heard no one else. I waited for a good 45 minutes until I was called in. By then my finger was swelling up. I still was the only patient in the emergency area. The nurse came in and took my vitals and then the doctor came in. He said he would have to cut it out. He injected novocaine and said he would be back. Thirty minutes later and the Novocaine wore off, he returned. He gave me more Novocaine and waited a few minutes. He then cut the hook and put a stitch in the finger. It was wrapped up and I was given a tetanus shot and sent on my way. Expensive for a hook. The service was good but the wait was ridiculous. This is especially true when no one was there except me.

Actually there is not much that can be done when you go to the emergency room at a hospital. No matter what they make you wait. If it starts to be too long, you might ask the clerk for help.