Top Ten Things to Know About a Visit to an Emergency Room

As featured in last week’s CV Weekly, Los Angeles County continues to struggle with the “triple threat” of COVID, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The high incidence of these illnesses has negatively impacted hospital Emergency Rooms (ERs) throughout the region. Not only are community members getting sick, so are healthcare workers who staff ERs and hospitals, creating labor shortages and longer wait times for patients.

An additional issue contributing to prolonged ER wait times is that the modern emergency room has become a primary care hub for millions of Americans who use it for preventable and non-emergent care.

But how to determine if you should go to the ER?

“Am I really that sick?” Of course, only you live inside your body and only you can determine if what you are experiencing feels like a medical emergency. You should always trust your instinct. If something is “off” or unusual for you, seek medical attention. That said, here are a few pieces of advice and tips to hopefully help you with your decision to visit an ER and what to expect once you get there.

1. Call 9-1-1 if you are having difficulty breathing, chest pain that is unrelieved by rest, nitrates or that is worsening over time.
2. Call 9-1-1 if you experience sudden single-sided weakness, loss of speech, facial droop or the worst headache of your life.
3. Call 9-1-1 if someone has lost consciousness or if you are concerned for life and limb.
4. You should go to an ER if you are experiencing severe belly pain, vomiting that does not stop, bleeding that does not stop or a fever greater than 103.
5. If possible, bring the following with you to the ER: personal identification, insurance information, medicine bottles or medication list and medical/surgical history. You will receive care even if you don’t have these items and information, but they are helpful and can assist in your treatment.
6. Once you are checked in, please be patient. ERs don’t work on a first-come, first-served basis. You may see people who arrived after you are seen before you. Patient flow is managed through “triaging,” which is the process of determining the seriousness of a medical situation and prioritizing care accordingly.
7. Diagnosis often requires lab tests and imaging, which are other departments of the hospital that may be impacted as well.
8. If you need to be admitted to the hospital an extended wait in the ER may be required until an in-patient bed is available. This can contribute to ER crowding.
9. Everyone working in an ER is there because they want to help others. They truly want to help relieve your pain and treat your illness. Please be kind and remember that everyone is doing their very best under very difficult circumstances.
10. Remember to do the things that are within your control to hopefully prevent a trip to the ER in the first place, which includes remaining current on vaccinations, masking in crowded venues, washing hands, eating healthfully, getting enough sleep and exercising daily.

Here’s to a healthy 2023!

Armand Dorian, MD is CEO of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine – USC Keck School of Medicine