Let's Put the "E" Back in "ER" Folks!

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That's right folks, the "E" in "ER" stands for "Emergency", that means something really, really, really bad. What isn't an emergency? Well, a few hints would be... ~if you sit in the ER waiting room for more than an hour... ~If you can get an appointment with a Family Doctor before you'll lose consciousness. ~If the bleeding is kind of oozing out... ~If it really, really, really hurts, but you can move it... ~If it's hard to breath, but you can still talk (ok, if you have some chronic respiratory problem, ignore this one)... If you have to ask what a "chronic respiratory problem" is, you don't have one... ~If one of those really, really, really big band aids will cover the cut... ~If you can cover the burn with a couple of fingers... ~Even if the toenail you just broke Really Really REALLY hurts, and even if it's bleeding... ~If you took medicine for the fever, but it came back in 4 hours. (If the fever is over 102F (100 for under 5 years old), ignore this one and get to the ER). ~If the headache, no matter how bad, was relieved with 2 aspirin or tylonol. (unless, of course, it is secondary to a head injury, fever or sun exposure." ~If the sunburn really, really, really hurts, and really peels like the dickens... (unless you have other signs and symptoms of heat injuries). ~If the bruise looks really, really, really hideous, and hurts like there is no tomorrow (unless it is secondary to an injury to a joint). ~If you just had nowhere better to spend 8-10 hours (longer in bigger cities). Emergency rooms aren't free clinics, urgent care clinics, or rec rooms. The TV you get to watch and juice you get to drink ISN'T worth the bill you'll get. Oh, and BTW, if you call 9/11 for an ambulance to bring you in, you AREN'T automatically brought back to a curtain or room. I've left plenty of patients in the comfort of the waiting room. If you feel like you really, really, really need the ER, by all means, don't let me talk you out of it, but remember, the amount of time you spend in the waiting room is inversely proportional to the need. In other words, the longer you spend sitting there, the less you actually needed to be there. Thank you for reading and Good Health Be Unto You! ~~~~~~ "Emergency Medical Services: We're the Reason Your Mother Taught You to Wear Clean Underwear" ~ ParaTed2k's (Not So) Famous Sayings.