Emergency medicine is a medical speciality, which involves the diagnosis and treatment of conditions which require immediate medical attention. There are many different examples of emergency medicine and emergencies can occur at any time, in any place.
The emergency team
Usually, the first professionals to arrive at the scene of an emergency are paramedics. However, in some cases, where the casualty is taken to the accident and emergency department by a friend or relative, their first point of contact will be the team of staff at the A and E department. If somebody makes a 999 call and asks for medical help, an ambulance will be sent out to them as quickly as possible. Paramedics will then treat the patient and transport them to hospital, though throughout the journey the paramedics will try to stabilise the patient and keep them comfortable. On their way to hospital, the paramedics may contact the hospital to allow them to prepare for the patient. This is often the case if there has been a major accident or trauma and the patient requires immediate surgery.
Once at the hospital the patient will be cared for by a team of staff, which may include nurses, consultants and anaesthetists. The paramedics will relay all the necessary information and then leave the patient in the care of the accident and emergency team.
Emergency health conditions and situations
There are many conditions and situations which may require urgent medical attention; some examples of these include:
- Heart attacks: symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest
- Strokes: symptoms include a loss of movement in the facial muscles (the face usually drops on one side), inability to move the arms and numbness in the arms, slurred speech or loss of speech
- Trauma (such as road traffic accidents, major falls, sports injuries)
- Loss of consciousness
- Head injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Choking
- Heavy bleeding
999 is for emergencies only; if you have a minor illness, you should arrange to see your GP, contact your GP’s surgery (you may be able to talk to the practice nurse or the GP if they do not have any appointments available), visit a local health clinic or contact NHS Direct.
Treating emergency conditions
Emergency medicine is a varied discipline, which may involve several different health conditions and injuries. Therefore, treatment often requires a multi-faceted approach. The nature of treatment will depend on the individual scenario and the injuries involved but common methods of treatment for emergency situations, include:
- CPR: this is used when a patient has stopped breathing; it can literally make the difference between life and death. CPR involves a series of chest compressions, followed by rescue breaths (often referred to as ‘the kiss of life’). For adults, the ratio is 30 chest compressions to 2 rescue breaths.
- Surgery: this is usually for severe fractures and may also be used for patients who have had a heart attack; surgery may also be required if a person has become impaled as a result of a car accident or fall.
- Medication
- Scans and X-rays
