A condition that needs urgent medical care. Examples include life-threatening injuries involving blood loss or damage to major organs, cardiac arrest or sudden loss of consciousness from, say, a blow or an epileptic fit. Emergency is a term also applied to any resuscitative procedure that must be undertaken immediately – for instance, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (see APPENDIX 1: BASIC FIRST AID – Cardiac/respiratory arrest) or TRACHEOSTOMY. Patients with an emergency condition may initially be treated on the spot by suitably qualified paramedical staff before being transported by road or air ambulance to a hospital Accident and Emergency department. These departments are staffed by doctors and nurses experienced in dealing with emergencies; their first job when an emergency arrives is to conduct a TRIAGE assessment to decide the seriousness of the emergency and what priority the patient should be given in the context of other patients needing emergency care.
As their title shows, A&E departments and the 999 telephone line are for patients with genuine emergencies: namely, critical or life-threatening circumstances such as:
unconsciousness.
serious loss of blood.
suspected broken bones.
deep wound(s) such as a knife wound.
suspected heart attack.
difficulty in breathing.
suspected injury to brain, chest or abdominal organs.
fits.
To help people decide which medical service is most appropriate for them (or someone they are caring for or helping), the following questions should be answered:
Could the symptoms be treated with an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine? If so, visit a pharmacist.
Does the situation seem urgent? If so, call NHS Direct (NHS 111 in Scotland)or the GP for telephone advice; a surgery appointment may be the best action.
Is the injured or ill person an obvious emergency (see above)? If so, go to the local A&E department or call 999 for an ambulance, and be ready to give the name of the person involved, a brief description of the emergency and the place where it has occurred.