Most people know that a severe medical situation requires a trip to their nearest hospital’s emergency department (ED). In some cases, however, people show up in the ED for reasons that are less urgent.
As the director of the busiest ED in Westchester County, I can confirm that most of our patients have chosen the right place. While less emergent issues such as a rash, a minor allergic reaction, or a sinus infection can be treated by your primary care physician or at a local urgent care facility, if the problem arises after hours, the safest option may be a visit to the ED.
Curious about what situations clearly call for a trip to the ED? Here are the top five:
- Chest pain: If the pain lasts for more than five minutes, and/or is accompanied by shortness of breath, nausea, discomfort radiating to the arms, back, neck or jaw, it may signal a heart attack or other major cardiac event. Patients arriving with chest pain are promptly evaluated for a heart attack, acute heart failure, arrhythmia, and other related conditions. If we are able to rule out those events, we then consider less serious diagnoses like muscle strain or acid reflux.
- Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing: Trouble breathing can be a a sign of a number of heart/vascular or lung/respiratory conditions such as heart attack, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or other infections.
- Fever: Adults with a temperature of 102°F (38.9°C) or higher, especially with symptoms such as confusion, difficulty breathing, or severe pain; children with a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, plus lethargy, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, or a new rash; and infants under three months with any fever over 100.4°F (38°C) should contact their PCP immediately, or visit the ED if it is after that provider’s hours.
- Stomach and abdominal pain, cramps and spasms: Sudden, severe, or persistent abdominal pain should never be ignored. Such symptoms could indicate appendicitis, gall bladder disease, bowel obstruction, kidney stones, or a foodborne illness – all requiring immediate evaluation.
- Neurologic conditions: The sudden onset of severe neurological symptoms like headache, loss of consciousness, difficulty speaking, vision changes, weakness, and/or numbness can be signs of a stroke, brain aneurysm or other life-threatening condition.
Know Your Options
Please note that there are also urgent care facilities that may be right for some non-emergency situations, including the Urgent Care Center at White Plains Hospital Medical & Wellness in Armonk. I discuss some of the differences between what an ED does and what an urgent care center provides in this video.
At White Plains Hospital’s ED, no one is ever turned away. Most importantly, if you are uncertain whether your symptoms require emergency attention, always choose the Emergency Department. When in doubt, it is far better to be safe than sorry.
Dr. Dean Straff is the Director of Emergency Services at White Plains Hospital. If you are unsure about whether symptoms you or someone near to you are experiencing requires emergency attention, call 911.