If you’re interested in pursuing a medical career, you’ll certainly encounter a few patients experiencing an emergency of some degree. While the treatment method differs on a case-by-case basis, knowing these five common medical emergencies doctors see frequently is helpful knowledge to use throughout your career.
Here’s a list of what doctors can expect when they walk into a treatment room at a medical facility.
Table of Contents
Bleeding Injuries
Cuts and wounds are the leading causes of bleeding situations. However, the wound’s severity dictates whether it’s best to treat it at home through first-aid procedures or visit the emergency room.
Patients who could not control bleeding after first aid or experience deep wounds exposing tissue and bone must visit their local medical facility immediately.
During this time, doctors and medical professionals must take extra precautions during care to maintain the bloodborne pathogen standard.
Breathing Difficulties
Breathing difficulties can stem from multiple reasons such as asthma, allergic reactions, coughs, or colds. While people can also experience breathlessness from physical activity, it could be a warning signal if it comes unexpectedly.
Someone experiencing a breathing emergency may feel chest tightness or pain when they inhale. Their breathing may turn noisy and wheezy.
Collapses and Falls
An unconscious individual requires immediate attention. While sudden collapses get triggered by different reasons than breathing difficulties, having the person evaluated by a medical professional is vital to ensure they didn’t experience additional head injury.
Epileptic Seizures
Epileptic seizures occur in individuals diagnosed with epilepsy but can also occur in those without a diagnosis. Fits and seizures can involve uncontrollable jerking movements and shaking on specific areas or all over a person’s body.
It’s essential not to move a person experiencing an epileptic seizure unless a risk is present. Those who lose consciousness or experience a seizure longer than five minutes must immediately see a doctor or physician.
Heart Attack
A heart attack is a severe and life-threatening medical emergency that involves a blockage impacting blood flow. Although they’re seen more in adults, children and teenagers are also susceptible to heart attacks.
Someone experiencing a heart attack may experience chest pain, breathing difficulties, and radiating pain in their left arm traveling to the chest.
While most of the situations on this list are alarming to witness upon first glance, doctors and medical professionals should remain calm during treatment. Patients can react based on the emotions of their care team so staying aware of the common medical emergencies is in everyone’s best interest.