FRISCO--Medical emergencies can be unpredictable and sometimes traumatic.  While no one plans to visit the emergency room of a hospital, it’s helpful if you know some things ahead of time. 

ERs are equipped to handle emergencies.  Patients usually arrive at the ER by ambulance or by a friend or family member.  Sometimes they may even drive themselves!  Patients who arrive by ambulance or are unconscious upon arrival are usually assigned a patient bed immediately.  If someone else brings you to the ER and you are not unconscious, you will first be brought to a waiting room, where your medical condition can be assessed.

“It’s important to know that medical attention in the ER is usually based on severity of injury or illness.  Typical categories may include: immediately life-threatening, urgent but not immediately life-threatening and less urgent,” states Dr. David Arai, Medical Director of Centennial Medical Center’s Emergency Department. 

This categorization is usually conducted by a triage nurse and is necessary to help ensure that the most severe patients are treated first.  The triage nurse is usually the first person you will see in the ER.  The nurse will check your vital signs (temperature, pulse, blood pressure, etc.) and will get a brief medical history, including information on current treatments or medications.

Once an emergency physician is able to see you, you will be brought to an examination room.  Some emergency departments break out their examination rooms into various categories, including a trauma center for severely injured patients, a fast track for minor injuries or illnesses and an observation unit for patients who require prolonged treatment or several diagnostic tests.

The emergency physician will ask a lot of questions about the circumstances surrounding the injury or illness.  To help increase the possibility of correct diagnosis and treatment, you must be sure to be completely truthful about events and symptoms.  If you are critically ill, you may be admitted to the hospital.  If your injury or illness does not require hospitalization, the physician may place you in the observation unit or may prescribe a treatment plan and medications.

In addition to being familiar with how the ER works, you should be familiar with a few things before a visit, including:

·        The fastest route to your local ER

·        Emergency room procedures, including who to check in with and how to check a patient’s status

·        Visiting procedures

Also, keep in mind that ERs can be very busy, with a lot of people – patients, nurses and physicians.  Remember to stay calm and to be polite, but assertive.

The hospital provides a medical screening exam and stabilizing treatment to all patients coming to the hospital.

Dr. Arai is one of the many quality board-certified physicians caring for patients at Centennial Medical Center.  To find a physician in your area call the Physician Referral Line at 1-888-TENET-4U or visit them online at www.centennialmedcenter.com.

ABOUT CENTENNIAL MEDICAL CENTER

Centennial Medical Center, part of Tenet Texas, is a 118-bed acute care facility located at 12505 Lebanon Road in Frisco, Texas.  Centennial Medical Center began serving the community in June 2004.  The hospital provides a wide spectrum of medical services including a 21-bed Emergency Department, a 12-bed Intensive Care Unit, Women's Services, 12-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Nursery, Diagnostic Imaging Department, four Operating Rooms, Physical Therapy and Telemetry.  Centennial Medical Center also provides a number of specialty services such as cardiology, open heart and vascular surgery, neurosurgery and neurology, orthopedics, gastrointestinal disease, oncology, infectious disease, general surgery, ear nose and throat, pulmonary medicine, urology, obstetrics, pediatrics, women's services, and neonatal and perinatal services.  To learn more about Centennial Medical Center, visit

www.centennialmedcenter.com