Keep Yourself Safe in the ER All it took was a good sneeze! The result was a nosebleed which triggered a string of events. I hope you can learn from my experience. An hour after it began, my nose had not stopped bleeding. My husband was out of town, so I dialed 9-1-1 and soon found myself in the Emergency Room. Four hours later, the bleeding finally stopped. Nothing serious, it turned out – simply a vein in my nose taking offense at the dryness of the air in my home. But it was a great opportunity to document the experience so I could share some safety tips with you: The EMTs may tell you only certain hospitals are accepting ER patients, but they are required to take you to the hospital of your choice. If it's a true emergency and time is more important than who takes care of you, then you'll want them to take you to the hospital which can see you the quickest. If time is less important, and you know which hospital your doctor is affiliated with, that’s a good one to choose. It will make follow up easier. Avoid arrival at the ER during the change of shift. The personnel who are there don't want to deal with you because it's time for them to go home. The arriving group needs to be briefed on the entire patient population before any of the doctors look in on you. That creates frustrating delays. Have someone go with you. If you can’t, ask the ER personnel to try to phone someone for you – a relative, neighbor or friend. Spending time in the emergency room is disconcerting and it’s tough to pay attention. An advocate by your side may take away that burden. Ask a LOT of questions and keep asking what will happen next. I found that if I didn’t ask, it was a long time before anyone looked in on me. Ask everyone to wash their hands. I noticed the nurses were much better about that than the doctor was, but everyone was willing to cooperate and none seemed surprised by my request. Keep your own hands clean, too. From guard rails to TV remotes, germs are everywhere. Keep your own situation in perspective. You can hear other patients, many moaning or complaining, and you can hear worried loved ones. In my case, I was able to keep my own less-than-life-threatening situation in perspective. The man behind the curtain next to me probably didn’t make it through the night. Keep your sense of humor, if possible. It makes the experience a bit more palatable and you’ll find they check in on you more frequently. Before you leave, ask for copies of any test results, and ask that the results also be sent to your regular doctor. Make sure you are given written instructions to follow when you leave. Then follow those instructions. Compliance with those instructions will help you heal after the emergency visit, and may keep another emergency from occurring. If possible, visit your regular doctor a day or two after you are discharged to confirm that there is no other follow up required.
A trip to the emergency room is no fun, and can be scary. Using these tips may help improve your chances for a good outcome. Want to talk about this column?
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© 2007 Trisha Torrey |
