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Emergencies that are life threatening such as a serious head injury or heart attacks would require the services of the emergency department or emergency room at a hospital. Sometimes, emergency facilities are required for patients with an injury or illness that does not appear to be life threatening. However, the treatment for these cannot wait until the next day or for a primary care doctor to see them.
Once a patient is seen in ER, either the care will be transferred to a specialist or patient can be treated and sent home.
Many people face a dilemma in daily life to assess if the medical condition needs emergency care or can wait for the primary doctor
What is considered a medical emergency?
Usually a medical emergency condition is one that can either permanently impair or endanger the life of an individual.
Some examples of conditions that would need immediate emergency medical services include:
- Chest pain that is severe
- Difficulty in breathing
- Fracture, especially where the bone is protruding through the skin
- Seizure, loss of consciousness or disorientation
- High fever in newborn less than 3 months old
- Excessive and uncontrollable bleeding
- Wound from gunshot or deep knife wounds
- Moderate to severe burns
- Poisoning or overdose of drugs
- Injury to head, neck or back
- Pregnancy related complications
- Heart attack or signs of it
- Sudden loss of vision, numbness, weakness, confusion or slurred speech
- Homicidal or suicidal feelings
What is considered an urgent care medical condition?
Urgent care medical conditions are those that are technically not considered emergencies but would still require care within 24-hours. Examples of such conditions include:
- Fall and accidents
- Sprains and minor fractures
- Moderate backache
- Mild to moderate difficulty in breathing
- Cuts and bleeding that would require stitches
- Redness and irritation of the eye
- Flu or fever
- Dehydration, diarrhea and vomiting
- Cough or severe sore throat
- Infection and skin rashes
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)
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