Where Can I Get Help With Emergency Medical Conditions?

A medical emergency is one of the scariest situations a person can face, especially if the emergency is potentially a matter of life and death. Part of being prepared for such an unfortunate event is knowing where to go to get help. There are several options for getting emergency medical assistance.

911

• The first place you need to go in a medical emergency is to your phone--call 911 immediately. The 911 operators are trained to give out as much medical advice as possible until qualified medical technicians arrive at the emergency scene. They can guide you through things like giving CPR, assisting a woman in labor or stopping bleeding. The other reason you want to call 911 first is because the 911 operator can dispatch medical personnel to your home and alert hospitals that you will be arriving. This lets you concentrate on helping the person in need, rather than trying to juggle coordinating future treatment and present treatment at the same time. They also will help keep you calm.

Hospitals

• After calling 911, head to the emergency room of a hospital. You do not need to call ahead for help if you go directly to the emergency room entrance, although doing so can help doctors on staff prepare for your arrival. Once you are there, staff can direct you anywhere you need to go in the hospital and can explain what they need to do to stop the emergency. Don't worry about having your insurance card or filling out paperwork--doctors will not risk your life over a few numbers they can get when you are stable later. However, be aware that emergency room staff will take the most critical patients first. Just because you go to the emergency room doesn't mean you will be admitted within seconds, but doctors will get to you as soon as they possibly can.

Urgent Care

• Go to an urgent care clinic if you have a medical emergency that doesn't warrant an emergency room visit; your medical emergency should be serious enough to require that you don't wait for treatment, but not so serious that you need to tie up emergency room workers at a hospital. An example could be having an extremely high fever or needing some stitches for a deep cut. Clinics usually are located in close proximity to local hospitals, so if your condition escalates, urgent care workers can direct you to the hospital with which they are associated or that will get you the fastest care.

Hotlines

• In some cases, calling a hotline in a medical emergency is appropriate. One of the medical emergency hotline numbers you should have on hand is for poison control, which is run by the American Association of Poison Control Centers. If you call 1-800-222-1222, poison control respondents can help you figure out what poison is causing problems and guide you through techniques to deal with the overdose until medical personnel arrive to help you.