Timely Hints for a Healthy Lifestyle BeeHealthy
When should I go to the Emergency Department?
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More than 300,000 Americans on average are treated in our nation's emergency departments every day, according to the latest government statistics, and patients are treated for a wide variety of medical conditions. How does a prospective patient decide when a medical condition rises to the level of a medical emergency? The American College of Emergency Physicians offers a list of 10 warning signs that indicate a medical emergency. The signs are also available with additional health and safety information on the organization's Web site at http://www.acep.org/webportal/ PatientsConsumers/. These signs of a medical

Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath

Chest or upper abdominal pain or pressure

Fainting, sudden dizziness, weakness

Changes in vision

Confusion or changes in mental status

Any sudden or severe pain Uncontrolled bleeding Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea Coughing or vomiting blood

Suicidal or homicidal feelings

Children have unique medical problems and may display different symptoms than adults.

Symptoms that are serious for a child may not be as serious for an adult. Children may also be unable to communicate their condition, which means an adult will have to interpret the behavior.

Always get immediate medical attention if a child seems to be having a medical emergency.

"If you or a loved one think you need emergency care, come to the emergency department and have a doctor examine you," said Dr. Frederick Blum, president of ACEP.

"If you think the medical condition is life-threatening or the person's condition will worsen on the way to the hospital, then you need to call 911," he said. "Have your local Emergency Medical Services provider come to you."

Emergency departments see patients based on the severity of their illnesses or injuries, not on a first-come, first served basis.

In order to get the best possible care as quickly as possible when coming to an emergency department, ACEP offers the following tips:

Bring a list of medications and allergies: What's the name of the medication? How often has the patient been taking it and for how long? A list of allergies is important, especially if there are many of them.

Be sure to include medications, foods, insects or any other product that may cause an allergic reaction. Bring a medical history form. ACEP has medical history forms available on its Web site.

Know the patient's immunizations: This will likely be a long list for children, mainly tetanus, flu and hepatitis B for adults.

Remain calm: Obviously it is difficult to remain composed when badly injured, but a calm attitude can help increase communication with the doctors and nurses.

"Communication is important when you arrive at an emergency department," said Blum. "I want to know as much about the patient as I can as quickly as I can, so the proper treatment can begin."

"There can be long waits in the emergency department as doctors and nurses tend to those with the most severe conditions," he said. "But by all means tell us if you are in pain or there is any change in your condition while you're at the hospital."

ACEP is a national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine. It has nearly 24,000 members.