ER or First Aid? What to Do for a Medical Emergency

ER OR FIRST AID? What to Do for a Medical Emergency WHY GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM? Staff trained to evaluate and treat emergencies that could be life-threatening Open 24/7 so they're there for you at all times Specially trained staff have experience with many different medical emergencies WHEN SHOULD YOU GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM? HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS Do PAIN IN THE CHEST, ARM, OR JA W SHORTNES S OF BREATH, DIZZINESS, AND NAUuSEA EARLY TREATMENT CAN HELP PREVENT OR MINIMIZE LONG-TERM DAMAGE STROKE SYMPTOMS Use the acronym F.A.S.T. to remember the symptoms: F· A·S· T Ask the person to smile and see if one side of the Face droops A Ask the person to raise both Arms and see if one drifts downwards S Observe if Speech is slurred or confused T Time to call 9-1-1 if you see any of these symptoms SEVERE BLEEDING Could be a result of an accident, injury, or trauma Go to the ER if the wound doesn't respond to pressure or a cold compress Deep wounds might require stitches to close HEAD INJURIES Could be from sports, a bike accident, a slip and fall, or a falling object Especiully dungerous when involving loss of consciousness, seizure, or vomiting ER treatment is also important if the injury involves the eyes SEVERE FLU SYMPTOMS Difficulty breathing Lips or skin turn a bluish color Persistent vomiting Dizziness or confusion Call 9-1-1 any time you are unsure of what to do! WHEN SHOULD YOU USE FIRST AID? 1 Common head cold ( Minor burns with unbroken skin 1 Shallow cuts less than 2" long 1 Mild sprains or muscle strains Vomiting or nausea that goes away in 24 hours or less INFOGRAPHIC PROVIDED BY: BLAKE BLAKE MEDICAL CENTER MEDICAL CENTER www.social.blakemedicalcenter.com Sources: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20479354,00.html http://www.bcbsm.com/index/health-insurance-help/faqs/topics/getting-care/emergency- room-vs-urgent-care-center.html http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/heartattack/treatment.html http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=symp http://m.cdc.gov/en/HealthSafetyTopics/DiseasesConditions/SeasonalFlu/forEveryone/ takingCare