Questions can arise for where to get common, non-life-threatening conditions treated.
If anyone should see the symptoms of a heart attack or stroke in themselves or someone around them, the first move should be to call 911 and request an ambulance.
The same should be done if there’s been an accident, and bones are broken and wounds are significantly bleeding.
For these potentially life-threatening conditions or severe injuries, immediate treatment should be sought at the nearest ER and trauma center.
But what about common, non-life-threatening conditions?
“The most important thing in any situation is to not delay care — don’t put it off,” said Dr. Harrison Tong, an emergency physician at McLaren Oakland. “Not all conditions are life-threatening, but there are definitely conditions that need immediate evaluation and treatment in the emergency department. At the same time, patients have a certain level of comfort with their primary care physicians, and they’re absolutely capable in countless situations.”
Incidents happen all the time that make many pause and question if they need to quickly get to the ER, or if it is something that’s better suited for the family doctor.
In which scenarios is it necessary for emergency care to be sought?
Scenario 1
You’re out in nature, and a bug flies onto your arm. A second later, you feel the pinch of a bug bite or the sting of a stinger, and after the bug flies away, the red mark of irritation is left on your skin.
Most local reaction bug bites and stings can be treated at home, but if redness spreads, skin around it feels warm to the touch or if a fever develops, it’s best to see your family doctor.
But if the reaction becomes so severe that it becomes difficult to breathe, nausea sets in or swelling occurs, head to the nearest emergency department.
Scenario 2
Making a meal at home, the knife you’re using slips and you accidentally cut yourself. The wound is steadily bleeding, and you’re definitely sure you’ll need stitches.
A family doctor can thoroughly clean and properly stitch a deep wound.
However, if the cut is significantly deep, the wound isn’t cut cleanly, the blood spurts out, won’t stop bleeding after pressure is applied, muscles or a blood vessel is exposed, it’s located on a joint or on or near your face, or if your family doc is closed for the day or weekend, head to the emergency department.
Scenario 3
You’ve had a cough and slight fever for a few days. Even after going to the drug store to get a cold medication it still hasn’t gotten any better.
Make an appointment with your family doctor if cold or flu-like symptoms persist even after taking medication.
Go to the ER if the symptoms worsen, such as it becomes difficult to breathe, or if it’s off-hours for your family doctor.
Scenario 4
You were just active in some way — it could be running, doing yard work, shoveling snow or even playing around with the dog — and you feel a pain in your chest. It’s not debilitating, but it’s consistent and hasn’t gone away.
Get to the ER immediately. Do not drive yourself, but call 911 for an ambulance so EMTs can begin assessing your heart right away. Do not try to wait it out to see if it will go away.
Doctors will most likely tell you to follow up with your family doctor, but make sure to make him or her aware of this occurrence during your next visit.
Scenario 5
You’re on a ladder a few feet off the ground changing a light bulb. You lose your balance and fall, and you feel a pain and weakness in your arm that isn’t going away. You think you might have a broken arm.
Get to the ER, especially one that is a verified trauma center with access to orthopedic trauma specialists who can thoroughly evaluate the break and ensure that nothing will impede it from healing properly.
Scenario 6
When you’re cooking dinner, your arm strays too close to a hot pan and you get burned. There’s a red mark and it soon blisters.
Many burns can be treated at home with a cold compress and a bandage after its thoroughly cleansed.
However, if the burn is large, the pain is intense and the blister is severe, get the emergency department to have the burn evaluated by a physician, and it can be thoroughly cleaned and bandaged.
Scenario 7
Running around outside, playing a game, you fall and hit your head. You stand up and you’re a little dizzy and soon after, you get a headache.
Get to the ER. Any head injury that results in dizziness, nausea, headaches, fatigue, drowsiness, blurred vision or any other mental status change needs to be evaluated by a physician and, perhaps, with imaging scans.
Scenario 8
Running outside you slip and roll your ankle. A couple of days of ice and resting it, it’s not yet better, but it’s also not getting any worse. It still hurts when you walk.
A bad sprain can be evaluated by a family doctor, who can image the sprain to check for structural damage and recommend the best splinting.
Scenario 9
Going about your normal day you develop some pain in your abdomen. The pain is not going away, and it’s getting more intense.
Get to the ER if you’re pregnant, have recently had an operation, you develop a bruise or recently had abdominal trauma.
If this doesn’t apply to you, still get to the ER if additional symptoms develop if your abdomen becomes tender or hard, if you become nauseous, the pain spreads (especially to the chest), develop diarrhea, difficulty breathing or become faint.
Call your family doctor if the pain doesn’t get better (but hasn’t gotten worse either), but still hasn’t gone away after a couple of days.
It’s best to know where the nearest emergency department is from your home, and also to have your primary care doctor’s office number saved to your phone for quick access (even off-hours, many still have on-call numbers for patients to call).
When facing emergencies such as a heart attack, stroke or an injury that risks a limb, the first action should be to call 911 to get to the nearest capable emergency department.
It’s always beneficial to have a primary care physician — a doctor who continually tracks their patients’ health over time, monitoring changes, making recommendations for specialized care and ensuring all screenings are performed.
Emergency care at McLaren Oakland
Learn more about emergency care at McLaren Oakland, and check-in to the McLaren Clarkston emergency department from your phone to minimize your wait when you arrive.
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