An emergency can be a scary and unsettling experience. But there are some measures you can take to be prepared in the event of an unexpected medical situation. Follow some of these tips so that you can receive the fastest most efficient care. Please note, if you are experiencing a potentially life-threatening medical emergency, do not hesitate: call 911 and seek immediate medical attention. 

Know Your Medical History. Your medical history contains a lot of critical information that may help doctors to treat you more effectively in the emergency room. Many people have multiple doctors or have changed doctors numerous times. Take responsibility for keeping your own medical records. When you visit the doctor, ask the office personnel for a copy of your medical record and file it at home. Make your records easy to access so that you can bring them with you in the event of an emergency. In the ER, physicians need to know information about any:

• Allergies
• Current medications
• Recent medical procedures, tests and results

Bring your insurance information. Having your insurance information with you can help to ensure that follow up care is scheduled at a facility within your network.

Add ICE to your phone. ICE stands for “in case of emergency.”  Adding a contact under ICE in your cell phone’s contact list will tell medical professionals who to call in a serious emergency when you can’t communicate for yourself.  Examples include “ICE-Mom” or “ICE-husband”.

Know your doctor’s phone number. It is important that you doctor understands that you’ve been hospitalized or have had an emergency.  He or she may be contacted for medical information or to coordinate follow-up care. 

Keep an overnight bag ready. Frequent travelers for work or pleasure keep many of their toiletries in their suitcase.  Consider keeping a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, lotion, pajamas, socks or slippers, change of underwear, an extra blanket or whatever will make your wait more comfortable in an overnight bag for situations like these. 

Bring something to help keep you occupied. To help pass the time, consider bringing something to keep you entertained, other than your cell phone.  Grab your book, the paper, or a magazine before leaving the house.  

Hopefully, you will not need to visit Lawnwood Regional’s Trauma Center in the near future, but we are here with state of the art technology and qualified medical professionals should you need us. We are proud to have some of the shortest ER wait times in the nation, however these times can vary depending upon the number of people in the ER and how serious your condition is.  If you have any questions about our Treasure Coast Trauma Center, visit us online or call (772) 461-4000.

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