They think that s the way to go, says past ER patient Jonathan Martinson. When Martinson was brought to the ER, he didn t have to wait. Suffering a collapsed lung, he received immediate care. If someone presents with a problem that appears to be of a very serious nature, they re taken back and seen immediately, says Dr. Fredericks. Generally, emergency departments and their staffs are trained to perform triage on patients.
Triage means the ordering of the severity of the problems that they are presented with.
For minor injuries like sprains and strains, minor lacerations, or perhaps minor respiratory infections, colds, sore throats, minor coughs, those kinds of presenting problems are the kind that can be well handled in a clinic, in an urgent care setting or the doctor s office. A lot of people are not aware of these options. When deciding to go to the emergency room, be prepared. Have on hand information about age, allergies, list of current medications and dosages, the name and phone number of ones regular doctor, insurance information, previous hospital visits, even pregnancy information. A complete medical profile will save emergency physicians or nurses a lot of time and guesswork.