How are medical emergencies identified?

First of all I want to say that I am new to this community. I hope you are well. So I will write the first post of this community.

An emergency can happen at the time we least expect and in view of this, having the right medical care at that moment would help save our lives. Either because we had an accident or failing that, a family member has an unforeseen health and needs to be attended by qualified professionals.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO), which is the highest body that provides the necessary guidelines regarding health, determines that, when referring to the term 'Emergency', it refers to situations that require immediate medical action.

I am going to share some examples that can guide us when identifying if we are in the middle of an emergency.

Having a first aid case at home and car is an excellent help

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Identify if it is an emergency or, urgency

Repeatedly, some people tend to confuse these words because they believe they are synonymous. However, this is not the case. Indeed, both situations must be addressed and solved quickly, but it is not the same. The main difference between these words is that the emergency immediately threatens our state of health. For its part, urgency is not represented by being an immediate risk, however, if we do not attend to it in time, it can end up becoming an emergency.

A wound can be emergency or failing that, urgency

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Let's identify the symptoms of an emergency

Specifically in babies, fever develops. For ages in general, ear and throat pains are added. It also includes diarrhea, nausea, mild asthma, vomiting, cough, respiratory diseases and some urinary tract infection. It is also considered an emergency situation when someone had a sprain, strain, sports injury, dislocations, possible fractures and last but not least, puncture wounds and lacerations. Other emergencies that we can not stop limiting are, allergic reactions and burns.

Mild allergy is considered an emergency

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Let's identify the symptoms of an emergency

One of the recurrent symptoms during an emergency is: chest pain since, it can represent a heart attack or failing that, a sign of infarction. Similarly it happens with abdominal pain and skull injury because, they are all symptoms of stroke. Another sign that will be considered an emergency is shortness of breath or, a poisoning.

Emergency symptoms are also seizures, loss of consciousness, burns of greater degrees, broken bones or, the risk of an amputation. The WHO in this last decade added to this list homicide, suicide, drug use or a medical overdose as an emergency situation.

By knowing how to identify the difference between emergency and urgency, we will be able to act more correctly

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Finally, it is essential to bear in mind that the symptoms that I have mentioned do not belong to an infallible list. In case of being faced with care that needs to be attended by health professionals, we must immediately consult with a doctor because only they know how to propose solutions for our urgency or urgency.