Saint Thomas Hospital for Specialty Surgery
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Emergency Services
When to Go to the Emergency Room
So what constitutes a medical emergency? A medical emergency means having a medical condition involving acute symptoms, which may include severe pain or other critical symptoms that pose an immediate risk to a person's life or health over time.
Recognizing a medical emergency and getting emergency medical services right away can save lives. Please don’t delay care if you or a loved one have symptoms that are best evaluated in an emergency room, which may include:
- Broken bones and dislocated joints
- Chest pains
- Concussion/fainting
- Confusion/change in mental state
- Digestive problems, especially sudden, severe stomach pain coupled with nausea and vomiting
- Facial lacerations
- Fever with a rash
- Head or eye injury
- Intense back pain with numbness, weakness and fever
- Muscle strain, inability to walk, fever or an open wound
- Seizures
- Serious burns
- Severe cuts that may require stitches
- Severe non-COVID-19 cold or flu symptoms
- Shortness of breath
- Vaginal bleeding with pregnancy