When should you go to the Emergency Department to get treatment

There are times when you are not sure whether an illness or injury that you are facing needs urgent medical attention. You may second guess the severity of the illness or injury and downplay the need to get crucial treatment. So, how do you know whether or not you should head to the nearest Emergency Department?

If you experience any of these symptoms below, do hurry to call or go to an Emergency Department as soon as possible:

• Chest pain, such as feeling pressure in the chest area
• Shortness of breath
• Sudden loss of movement, usually due to neck or spine injury
• Excessive bleeding or excessive loss of blood
• Confusion, fainting or passing out, especially following a head injury
• Sudden loss of speech, balance or vision, especially with drooping of face
• Acute abdominal pain
• Seizures
• Serious burns
• Loss of consciousness
• Possible broken or displaced bone
• Severe allergic reaction, such as swelling, hives, difficulty breathing
• Prolonged vomiting or diarrhoea
• Fever in infants and toddlers
• Vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain in a pregnant woman

Some of the symptoms above are indicative of illnesses that require immediate medical treatment, such as heart attacks, strokes, severe infections, head injuries, appendicitis, and severe allergic reactions. Getting immediate medical attention is absolutely critical to prevent debility and death.

As COVID-19 is still plaguing the nation, some may be concerned about going to the hospital to seek medical care. While it is understandable to stay at home for fear of exposure to the virus, do not avoid going to the Emergency Department for any of the above symptoms. Most hospitals have put up the necessary additional measures in place to ensure patients seeking treatment are safe and well taken care of during this pandemic.

By getting emergency medical care when you need it, you can minimise the consequences of an injury or illness such as chronic pain, partial or permanent disability or even death from delayed treatment. A single call to the Emergency Department may well save your life.

In case of emergency, call 03 4289 2990 to seek immediate medical attention from Pantai Hospital Ampang’s 24 hour Emergency Medical Services team, with 24/7 on-call Cardiac Care team as well as round-the-clock Specialist, services and facilities availability.

This article was contributed by Dr Pameila Reena, Resident Medical Officer at Pantai Hospital Ampang. To know more about where and when to see Dr Pameila Reena at emergency department, click here.