Emergency medical condition - Glossary (2024)

FAQs

What qualifies as an emergency medical condition? ›

An illness, injury, symptom or condition so serious that a reasonable person would seek care right away to avoid severe harm.

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, these are the warning signs of a medical emergency: Bleeding that will not stop. Breathing problems – difficulty breathing, shortness of breath. Change in mental status – confusion, unusual behavior, difficulty waking.

An emergency medical condition is defined as "a condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in placing the individual's health [or the health of an unborn child] in serious ...

1/52 = one week, 1/7 = one day, 1/12 = one month or 30 days. Check there is no ambiguity – if uncertain write the period of supply out in full. Note 1.

The longest word entered in most standard English dictionaries is Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis with 45 letters. Our definition is "a lung disease caused by inhalation of very fine silicate or quartz dust." The entry for this word can be found in our Medical Dictionary.

This course focuses on learning Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes, word roots, and abbreviations used in medical documentation. Students will become familiar with names of diseases that affect the human body and procedures related to medical services.

Emergency scenarios may include difficulty breathing, choking, chest pain, heart attacks, unconsciousness, allergic reactions, low or high blood sugar levels, uncontrollable or profuse bleeding, heat exhaustion or stroke, seizures, fall from a significant height, significant trauma, and many other scenarios.

Which condition constitutes an emergency situation? ›

Any serious injury, symptom, or condition that poses an immediate risk to someone's life or body qualifies as a medical emergency.

Examples of a non-emergency include: sprained knee, ankle, arm, minor headache, pulled muscle, controlled nose bleed and small cuts.

An emergency medical condition occurs when individuals present with acute symptoms of great severity, which require immediate medical treatment. Examples of emergency medical conditions include heart attacks and emergency labor and delivery.

Life-threatening medical emergencies are severe situations that can be quite scary. Accidents or injuries that lead to loss of consciousness, impaired cognition, blood loss, head trauma, and/or breathing problems can all potentially be life-threatening.

Life-threatening health conditions include: Diabetes. Severe allergies (bees, peanuts, etc.). Epilepsy/seizure disorder. Severe asthma.

Call for help immediately—minutes and seconds count. Bring help to the victim—don't move the victim unless he or she is in danger. Check for breathing and a pulse. Do no further harm—make sure you don't cause additional injuries to the victim.