Fatherhood

Survive Your Family's ER Visit

12 simple rules to keep it as painless as possible

By: Jason Stevenson; Photograph: Levi Brown
Published: December 2008/January 2009   [ Updated: Dec 15, 2008 - 1:48:27 AM ]

Fewer hospitals and shrinking budgets are making ERs more crowded and hectic than ever. Average wait times jumped from 38 minutes in 1997 to 56 minutes in 2006, while waits for heart-attack patients more than doubled in the same period. The good news is about 80 percent of ER visitors go home; the bad news is that sorting out the heart attacks from the gall-bladder attacks takes time. Here are a dozen smart strategies to ensure an ER visit that is short, easy, and productive.

Ask Your Doc to Call Ahead
Not only can your primary-care physician alert the ER that you are on the way, but your doctor can also relay your medical history to the staff and pull some strings to get you seen faster. And if you are among the 15 percent of ER visitors admitted to the hospital, you'll want your own doctor to be there to look after you. To be ready, add your doctor's after-hours number to your cell phone.

If You Can, Go Early
The busiest time for ERs is 7 p.m., when 20 percent of the day's patients are present, so go in the morning if you can. "If you're not feeling well, don't delay," says John Ma, MD, chair of the emergency medicine department at Oregon Health & Science University. For heart attacks and strokes, coming in an hour sooner can save your life.

Go to the Hospital Where You Receive the Majority of Your Care
ER doctors at your home hospital will have access to your electronic medical records within seconds, including old EKGs and X-rays. If you are traveling or at a different hospital, tell the doctor where you usually get your treatment; your medical records can be faxed over within a few minutes, says Dr. Ma. Many times, dispatchers route ambulances based on waiting times and geography. If you want to go to a specific hospital, tell the EMTs when they pick you up.

Be Specific
Describe all of your symptoms in detail to the triage nurse, the ER's traffic cop who determines the order in which people are seen. "Be specific about where it hurts and how much," says Dr. Ma. "A statement like 'I've never had chest pain this bad in my life' will get the nurse's attention."

Bring a Friend
"It's hard to update the triage nurse on your condition if you're in the bathroom vomiting," says Dr. Ma. If you head to a hospital alone, let a friend or colleague know so he or she can keep track of you and be your advocate.

Leave the Kids Home
If a hospital's emergency room isn't a wonderful place for you, it's not going to be a fun or safe spot for your kids. Leave them with relatives or a neighbor.