The McDonaldization of our society has caused everybody to expect things rather instantly — even their health care. However, personally, I would rather wait for a 5-course meal to be cooked, rather than eat McDonald's.

The wife of a patient in our emergency department didn't see it that way. She brought in her husband (of her own volition) to be evaluated for chest and abdominal pain that he had been experiencing for the past few days. After 5 hours in the ER, she became quite irate, and starting verballing harassing staff members to the point where we needed to call Security. Had her husband been sitting in a room for 5 hours without evaluation (which has happened when the ED is busy), I might have slightly understood. This was not the case — in that time her husband had been evaluated by an ER MD, received 2 EKG's, a complete laboratory workup, (including a second set of cardiac enzymes which need to be drawn 2 hours after the first set), a spiral chest CT scan, an abdominal CT scan, (for which the patient must drink CT dye over the course of 2.5-3 hours), and evaluations from two specialists - a cardiologist, and a gastroenterologist.

Sorry, but if you want this complete of an examination it will take a number of hours - no drive-through diagnosis here.

Well, at the ambulance and so far so good — 7 hours without any calls, and only 5 to go. Off to sleep now so I can be nice and refreshed for my 12 hour ED shift tomorrow.