Full Moon Madness

Several studies have been published that find no correlation between the number of psych complaints presenting to the emergency department and whether or not there is a full moon.

I call BS.

Highlights from this week's full moon include:

*Pt complaining of being continuously awake for a 3-day sex binge. Combative and violent, he was placed in restraints and fought off multiple rounds of medication.

*Pt complaining of pain s/p inserting a foreign body into a cavity where it does not belong.

*Pt brought in spitting, trying to bite staff, screaming "I'm going to give you AIDS."

*Pt reading a large print bible down the hall from another patient who claimed to have stolen a rosary while drunk on dollar store mouthwash.

*Pt brought for eval by police after erratically operating her motorized wheelchair - scootering under the influence?

*Immodestly dressed patient found at a college underwear party with big, heaping chunks of vomit in her hair.

When I was little I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up; now, working an 8 or 12 hour shift in the ER sometimes feels like visiting a completely different planet.