HUMOR IN THE PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT - A 20-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE

Humorous events often take place in pediatric emergency departments without being recorded. A written account of amusing situations occurring in an emergency department has been compiled over 20 years by personnel at a large urban children's hospital. Data from this reference were analyzed for humorous content and presented in the following categories: most interesting chief complaints, suspicious sounding chief complaints, favorite telephone inquiries, and illustrative cases. This study demonstrates that an emergency department may be a fertile source of medical humor. Recognition of these statements and events helps to relieve the stress of medical training and emergency department work.