Emergency Department

When do you need to go to the Emergency Department?

If you have an emergency, please call 911 immediately. Emergency situations include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Chest pain lasting two minutes or longer.
• Uncontrolled bleeding.
• Sudden or severe pain.
• Coughing or vomiting blood.
• Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath.
• Sudden dizziness, weakness or change in vision.
• Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea.
• Change in mental status (e.g. confusion, difficulty rousing).

If you have to go to the Emergency Department and it’s not a life-threatening situation, you may need to wait. State and national trends show that hospital emergency rooms are busier than any other time in history. Between 1997 and 2000, the latest period for which figures are available, emergency room visits across the country increased from 95 million to 108 million, a 14 percent increase.

In Maryland, between 1998 and 2000, visits increased by 200,000 or 12 percent. At AAMC during the three-year period of 2000 to 2003, emergency room visits increased an astonishing 23 percent. Last year alone, visits increased from 59,000 to more than 65,000.

Why your visit to the ED may take longer than you’d like

However, more patients does not mean less personalized service – it just means more time.

“Good medicine, individual attention and quality care take time, as do the results of such diagnostic procedures such as CT scans, X-rays and blood tests,” said Dr. Kenneth Gummerson, Chief of Service for AAMC Emergency Medicine.

Individuals can be their best advocates when it comes to emergency room care. Primary care physicians play a key role in their patients’ care. Whenever possible, it’s best to consult with a personal physician before coming to the hospital. In addition, AAMC offers a 24-hour nurse line called “askAAMC” at 443-481-4000 or 800 MD NURSE that is a wonderful resource when you need immediate health information.

Says Dr. Gummerson, “The highly skilled and compassionate men and women who staff our Emergency Department all day, every day, are among the most dedicated and hard-working professionals anywhere and are always striving to see patients as quickly as possible.”

• BACK TO SERVICES INDEX

• Summer Safety Tips
• When It All Comes Together
• Patients First — Quality Emergency Care
• The Big Numbers for Cold and Flu Season (continued)
• The Big Numbers for Cold and Flu Season
• The Bad Bugs of Winter

• Myocardial Infarction (MI)