If you or a loved one, friend, or coworker seem to be in serious distress, you could be dealing with a medical emergency. But sometimes, it’s difficult to know if you or the person you’re with can go to an immediate care clinic for treatment or if you should take them straight to the emergency room.
In this blog article, we’ll share what to look for to determine if the situation at hand is a medical emergency and what your next steps should be.
It’s normal to have some bleeding from a minor cut in the kitchen or moderate pain after straining your back. But pain or bleeding can also be signs of a medical emergency if they are severe or excessive.
That’s why it’s essential to know if the situation you’re dealing with is an emergency or something that you can treat at home or with help from an expert at an immediate care clinic.
If a child in your care, an adult you’re with, or you are experiencing a true medical emergency, it’s vital to get them to the emergency room right away.
According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, the signs include:
Call 911 to get an ambulance to your location right away if the person having the medical emergency is in any of the following situations:
Not all incidents of bleeding are medical emergencies. You can usually treat minor cuts or scrapes with first aid at home, but excessive bleeding is not normal.
Call 911 if you notice any of the following:
How you react in an emergency can have a real impact on the situation and getting yourself or the person you’re with the care they need. Your actions could even save someone’s life.
Here are a few dos and don’ts:
If you’re not CPR certified, you can perform hands-only CPR, which consists of just two steps:
If you’re still not sure if the situation you’re dealing with is an emergency or not, err on the side of caution—call 911 and explain to the operator what is happening.
Sometimes, an illness or injury may need to be looked at quickly but doesn’t necessarily require a trip to the emergency room. This is where immediate care or a walk-in clinic can be a good option.
You can visit an immediate care clinic to get treatment for conditions like:
Minor injuries and illnesses can strike anytime, even when your doctor’s office is unavailable and the problem isn’t a medical emergency.
At Logansport Memorial Hospital’s Express Medical Center, our team of experienced providers offers high-quality care for a wide range of conditions, including asthma, back pain, burns, coughs, sore throats, sinus problems, cuts, bruises, ear pain, eye irritation, fever, flu, skin rashes, and more.
Get the care you need, when you need it, with no appointment necessary. Walk-ins are welcome at:
Express Medical Center
3400 East Market Street
at Cass Plaza
(574) 722-9633
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