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Emergency! Things Your ER Staff Wants You To Know
Currently at WebMD there is an article called the "7 Pains You Shouldn't Ignore." It's an article that helps people without medical training to recognize the common symptoms of potentially life-threatening illnesses. Patients in the emergency department (ED) where I work often wonder if they have wasted their time (or the medical personnel's) by coming in for something they aren't certain about. Please, never worry about that!
The reason the ED exists is to make certain that you aren't having a medical emergency. If it turns out to be "nothing" then we'll do the happy dance with you. We would much rather that you come in earlier so that real problems can be treated in a timely manner, than to have you stay home while your heart attack or stroke or other serious illness gets worse. The sooner we can start treatment the more likely you are to have a full recovery to your former healthy self.
One word of advice however. It is not the job of the ED staff to diagnose your long-standing health problems. So if you suddenly decide that you 'can't take it anymore' in the middle of the night and come in for the chest pain that has been going on for months, don't expect that you're going to get the million dollar workup right then and there.
We'll make sure that you aren't having a heart attack, and then we'll tell you that we're pretty sure you have a little excess stomach acid. We will give you a prescription to stop acid production in the stomach and tell you to make an appointment with your primary care provider (PCP) for follow-up.
We'll only give you 10 days to 2 weeks worth of medication though, because we want you to see your PCP to make SURE that's the problem. It might be that you actually have a bad stomach ulcer, and you really need a check-up to make sure that it's not bleeding. You'll be sent to your PCP for the follow-up.
This brings me to a point that the ED staff would really like you to know. I don't care how young or old you are, you need to have a PCP in your community.
No health insurance? Then find a community health clinic that takes people without insurance and go there. Yes, hospitals HAVE to provide "free care" to those without insurance, but that doesn't mean that it happens easily. There is a lot of paperwork to fill out, you get good, but not personalized care, and you still get a portion of a very large bill.
Depending on what time of day you come in you also may have to wait HOURS to be seen! Better to call the clinic and get seen on the same day by someone who knows you and pay little to nothing based on an income scale. It will make you feel more like a human being that counts than someone the ED staff treats badly because you don't belong in the ED. I know it shouldn't be that way, but it happens.
We're not a primary care office. So when people decide that that they suddenly need their allergic, sneezing, runny nose treated or that ugly mole removed, or they can't stand the heartburn any longer and they have to drag the kids into the ED in the middle of the night, they should know they're going to get a little attitude from the ED staff. They want you to see your own PCP in the daylight hours for that stuff.
It's not that we don't want to work. I'm telling you, there are plenty of sick people who come to see us every day, and really need to be in the ED. But we want to concentrate on them, and we know you'll get better care in your PCP's office, with less expensive co-pays than you'll have to fork over in the ED (now typically $50.00 or more). We're also worried about the GERMS!
One word that DOES define the ED is germy (it contains a LOT of germs!). EDs and hospitals are full of sick people, so you need to consider whether or not it's worth exposing yourself to them. Ditto for your kids. If at all possible, don't haul the little ones along with you to keep you company in the ED. If you have to, then get someone to come pick them up as soon as you can.
Kids are going to get bored quickly and then they'll want to wander. If you're really sick you don't need to be worrying about what they're doing. If you're not, you'll soon see the wrath and annoyance of a busy ED nurse who is wondering why you had to drag the whole crew in at midnight while we looked at the earache you've had for 10 days.
The ED is a great place to go if you are really sick, including those items on the "7 pains" list. I would also add to that list any fever that you can't control with over the counter medications, and uncontrollable nausea and vomiting. We're here to help you to feel better, including treating life-threatening illnesses and getting you admitted to the hospital if needed.
If there is ever any doubt in your mind about whether or not to visit your local ED, then go. Better safe than sorry, and I promise you that no one will tell you that you should not have come for those 7 painful conditions, a high fever, or not being able to "keep anything down" in your stomach.
But always consider this question early in the day if you aren't feeling well: "What will I feel like 6 or 8 hours from now if this progresses?" If the answer causes you to be concerned, then you should call your PCP's office and ask for a call back from the provider.
If he or she advises coming to the ED, please come. But wouldn't it be better to get some advice from someone who knows you well, and can help you decide the best approach to your problem? It may be that with that kind of advice you can be saved a trip to the germy, overcrowded emergency department.
Related Topics:
Timely Hospital Care With Computerized Bed Board, Men Delay ER Trips to Watch Sports
Technorati Tags: ER, emergency room, emergencies, heart attack
The reason the ED exists is to make certain that you aren't having a medical emergency. If it turns out to be "nothing" then we'll do the happy dance with you. We would much rather that you come in earlier so that real problems can be treated in a timely manner, than to have you stay home while your heart attack or stroke or other serious illness gets worse. The sooner we can start treatment the more likely you are to have a full recovery to your former healthy self.
One word of advice however. It is not the job of the ED staff to diagnose your long-standing health problems. So if you suddenly decide that you 'can't take it anymore' in the middle of the night and come in for the chest pain that has been going on for months, don't expect that you're going to get the million dollar workup right then and there.
We'll make sure that you aren't having a heart attack, and then we'll tell you that we're pretty sure you have a little excess stomach acid. We will give you a prescription to stop acid production in the stomach and tell you to make an appointment with your primary care provider (PCP) for follow-up.
We'll only give you 10 days to 2 weeks worth of medication though, because we want you to see your PCP to make SURE that's the problem. It might be that you actually have a bad stomach ulcer, and you really need a check-up to make sure that it's not bleeding. You'll be sent to your PCP for the follow-up.
This brings me to a point that the ED staff would really like you to know. I don't care how young or old you are, you need to have a PCP in your community.
No health insurance? Then find a community health clinic that takes people without insurance and go there. Yes, hospitals HAVE to provide "free care" to those without insurance, but that doesn't mean that it happens easily. There is a lot of paperwork to fill out, you get good, but not personalized care, and you still get a portion of a very large bill.
Depending on what time of day you come in you also may have to wait HOURS to be seen! Better to call the clinic and get seen on the same day by someone who knows you and pay little to nothing based on an income scale. It will make you feel more like a human being that counts than someone the ED staff treats badly because you don't belong in the ED. I know it shouldn't be that way, but it happens.
We're not a primary care office. So when people decide that that they suddenly need their allergic, sneezing, runny nose treated or that ugly mole removed, or they can't stand the heartburn any longer and they have to drag the kids into the ED in the middle of the night, they should know they're going to get a little attitude from the ED staff. They want you to see your own PCP in the daylight hours for that stuff.
It's not that we don't want to work. I'm telling you, there are plenty of sick people who come to see us every day, and really need to be in the ED. But we want to concentrate on them, and we know you'll get better care in your PCP's office, with less expensive co-pays than you'll have to fork over in the ED (now typically $50.00 or more). We're also worried about the GERMS!
One word that DOES define the ED is germy (it contains a LOT of germs!). EDs and hospitals are full of sick people, so you need to consider whether or not it's worth exposing yourself to them. Ditto for your kids. If at all possible, don't haul the little ones along with you to keep you company in the ED. If you have to, then get someone to come pick them up as soon as you can.
Kids are going to get bored quickly and then they'll want to wander. If you're really sick you don't need to be worrying about what they're doing. If you're not, you'll soon see the wrath and annoyance of a busy ED nurse who is wondering why you had to drag the whole crew in at midnight while we looked at the earache you've had for 10 days.
The ED is a great place to go if you are really sick, including those items on the "7 pains" list. I would also add to that list any fever that you can't control with over the counter medications, and uncontrollable nausea and vomiting. We're here to help you to feel better, including treating life-threatening illnesses and getting you admitted to the hospital if needed.
If there is ever any doubt in your mind about whether or not to visit your local ED, then go. Better safe than sorry, and I promise you that no one will tell you that you should not have come for those 7 painful conditions, a high fever, or not being able to "keep anything down" in your stomach.
But always consider this question early in the day if you aren't feeling well: "What will I feel like 6 or 8 hours from now if this progresses?" If the answer causes you to be concerned, then you should call your PCP's office and ask for a call back from the provider.
If he or she advises coming to the ED, please come. But wouldn't it be better to get some advice from someone who knows you well, and can help you decide the best approach to your problem? It may be that with that kind of advice you can be saved a trip to the germy, overcrowded emergency department.
Related Topics:
Timely Hospital Care With Computerized Bed Board, Men Delay ER Trips to Watch SportsTechnorati Tags: ER, emergency room, emergencies, heart attack
