Physician urges public to know what an emergency is

Santo Domingo – Nearly 80% of the patients who arrive at an emergency room are emergency cases. This highlights the need to educate the population about the difference between emergency rooms and urgencies so that they know where to go in the event of a medical eventuality, said Dr. Josué Hernández, medical director of Médico Express.

Urgency can be any health condition that requires quick medical assistance but does not put a patient’s life at risk. Examples include migraines, back pain, ear pain, fever, mild trauma, and viral or allergic processes.

An emergency is when a person has a life-threatening situation requires immediate attention. These almost always require hospitalization or intensive care, for example, chest pain, loss of consciousness, convulsions, profuse bleeding, and polytrauma, among others, added Hernandez.

People who attend Médico Express will be able to have most of their health conditions and situations treated from the point of view of urgency, consultation, diagnosis, and even outpatient surgeries.

The emergency medicine specialist emphasized, “We do not perform hospitalizations; our rooms are emergency rooms. It is important that the citizens know these differences and scope.” Educating and orienting the patient benefits the system.