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Recognizing medical emergencies

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, the following are warning signs of a medical emergency:

    Bleeding that will not stop
    Breathing problems (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath)
    Change in mental status (such as unusual behavior, confusion, difficulty arousing)
    Chest pain
    Choking
    Coughing up or vomiting blood
    Fainting or loss of consciousness
    Feeling of committing suicide or murder
    Head or spine injury
    Severe or persistent vomiting
    Sudden injury due to a motor vehicle accident, burns or smoke inhalation, near drowning, deep or large wound, etc.
    Sudden, severe pain anywhere in the body
    Sudden dizziness, weakness, or change in vision
    Swallowing a poisonous substance
    Upper abdominal pain or pressure

BE PREPARED

    Determine the location and quickest route to the nearest emergency department before an emergency happens.
    Keep emergency phone numbers posted by the phone. Everyone in your household, including children, should know when and how to call these numbers. These numbers include:
        Fire department
        Police department police
        Poison control center
        Ambulance center
        Your doctors' phone numbers
        Contact numbers for neighbors or nearby friends or relatives.
        Work phone numbers
    Know at which hospital(s) your doctor practices and, if practical, go there in an emergency.
    Wear a medical identification tag if you have a chronic condition or look for one on a person who has any of the symptoms mentioned.
    Get a personal emergency response system if you are elderly, especially if you live alone.

WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE NEEDS HELP

    Remain calm, and call your local emergency number (such as 000 in Australia).
    Start CPR or rescue breathing, if necessary and if you know the proper technique.
    Place a semiconscious or unconscious person in the recovery position until the ambulance arrives. DO NOT move the person, however, if there has been or may have been a neck injury.

Upon arriving at an emergency room, the person will be immediately evaluated. Life- or limb-threatening conditions will be treated first. Persons with conditions that are not life- or limb-threatening may have to wait.

CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER (SUCH AS 000 IN AUSTRALIA) IF:

    The person's condition is life-threatening (for example, the person is having a heart attack or severe allergic reaction)
    The person's condition could become life-threatening on the way to the hospital
    Moving the person could cause further injury (for example, in case of a neck injury or motor vehicle accident)
    The person needs the skills or equipment of paramedics
    Traffic conditions or distance might cause a delay in getting the person to the hospital

Alternative Names

Medical emergencies - how to recognize them

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