How an Emergency Room Functions

Millions of patients walk into emergency roomsbased on the symptoms.
every year to get medical attention. With theDiagnostic tests are required when the physician
proliferating of medical series, everybody seemssees that the patient's symptom and physical
to be amazed with the 24 hour action hospitalexamination failed to get a likely diagnosis. After
department with emergency nurses running andconducting the diagnostic tests and was able to
treating critically injured victims.identify the probable diagnosis, necessary action
But how does emergency room really works?or steps are undertaken to treat the patient.
According to Dr. Carl Bianco, writer of HowNormally, a scene from the ER can be chaotic and
Emergency Room Works, the first step in theconfusing for a victim of patient's family. A long
emergency room process is the triage. A triage isline of patients wanting to be examined could a
an emergency nurse who categorizes anddreadful sight. There are some people who tried
prioritizes the patient's condition. The triageto get medical attention to no avail. Donna Mason,
categorizes the patient's situation into threean emergency nurse gave CNN five things to
categories:remember in an ER:
1. immediately life threatening1. Inform your doctor is you will be going to the
2. urgent, but no immediately life threateningemergency room.
3. less urgent2. Use the ambulance specifically for threatening
The triage is also responsible in recording thesituations. There would be instances that
patient's vital signs which are temperature, pulse,whenever emergency personnel can see that the
respiratory rate and blood pressure. The triagepatient can actually walk and chose to arrive with
also gets the brief patient history, medications,the emergency room to get attention, they
allergies to determine the appropriate category.asked the patient to step down and wait.
Registrations will be the next step. With the3. If the triage is not being helpful in addressing
registration, additional information is obtained fromthe case, speak up and look for the person in
the patient. Mainly insurance information, creationcharge.
of medical record for reference while in the4. It is important to control temper at all times. It
hospital. But for life threatening situations like caris also important not to lie about your symptoms
crash of life threatening cases, registration can bejust to get attention ahead of the others.
completed later on.5. If things are really getting bad and nobody
The patient will go next to the examination roomfrom the emergency department is helping, look
where an emergency room nurse will get morefor a house phone and inform the issue to the
detailed information about the sickness. There arehospital administrator or patient advocate who is
certain hospitals that have divided theiravailable 24 hours.
emergency department into areas dedicated toEmergency room experience can be tough and
pediatric ER, a chest-pain ER, a fast track (forrough. It is necessary for us to understand the
minor injuries and illnesses), trauma center (usuallyhow things work to understand why some
for severely injured patients) and an observationemergency room or departments will take a while
unit (for patients who do not require hospitalto address patient issues. Emergency rooms are
admission but needs prolonged treatment ora mazes filled with emergency room nurses who
diagnostic tests).I wager will be more than happy to take care of
After the nurse has completed her duty, thethe patients.
emergency physician will get a complete reviewTo learn about elbow rash, fever while pregnant
of the information obtained from the patient. Heand other information, visit the Health And
then formulates a possible cause or diagnosisNutrition Tips website.