Top Reasons People Visit the ER

More than 130 million Americans visit the ER every year, and 30 million of those visits are for children. But what ailments bring so many people in for help?

Reasons for Visits

According to the 2018 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, the top ten overall reasons for all visits were:

1. Stomach and abdominal pain
2. Chest pain
3. Fever
4. Cough
5. Shortness of breath
6. Headache
7. Pain, unspecified site
8. Back symptoms
9. Leg symptoms
10. Vomiting

When it comes to injuries, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, falls are the most common cause of injury-related emergency department visits, making up one-third of the 26.5 million total injury visits. Other top reasons include impact injuries, crashes, cuts, overexerction and bites/stings.

For children, respiratory disorders, injury and poisoning were the most common reasons parents brought their kids to the ER. Respiratory-related disorders were especially common among infants. Children under 15 were also frequently seen for fever, cough, abdominal pain, rash, vomiting, head/face/neck injury, earaches, throat issues, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, headache and congestion.

When to Head to the ER

The conditions below mean it's time to head to the ER, but overall, it's important to trust your instincts when you think you need help.

• Broken bones and dislocated joints
• Pain in the chest, left arm and/or jaw
• Concussion/confusion
• Facial lacerations
• Fainting
• Fever with a rash
• Head or eye injury
• Vaginal bleeding or pelvic/abdominal pain during pregnancy
• Broken bones
• Seizures
• Serious burns or cuts that won't stop bleeding or close
• Severe allergic reaction
• Severe cold or flu symptoms
• Shortness of breath
• Stroke symptoms like slurred speech, numbness on one side, facial droop, or vision loss
• Vaginal bleeding with pregnancy

What to Bring

During a medical emergency, remembering to take everything you need to the emergency room (ER) can be difficult. Keep the following essential information on hand:

• List of medications. For every person in your family, have a written record of daily medications, including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and any vitamins or supplements. Make sure the dosage and directions are included.
• List of preexisting illnesses and allergies. The medical staff needs to know if you or a loved one has diabetes, high blood pressure or any other chronic illnesses that could complicate treatment, as well as any food or drug allergies that could cause life-threatening reactions.
• Your PCP's phone number and address. If you need follow-up care, having this information handy will make communication between the ER and your doctor's office easier.

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