Don't die waiting in the ER

[Guest guest]

Don't die waiting in the ER By Sabriya Rice, CNN Medical producer

January 13, 2011 4:45 p.m. EST

....BEFORE YOU ARRIVE

Find out if your hospital posts emergency room wait times

Even before an emergency happens, it's a good idea to figure out which nearby

hospitals post their emergency room wait times on the internet, Sayah

recommends.

Many hospitals, including members of the Cambridge Health Alliance where Sayah

works, have started posting up-to-date estimates on their homepages to help

inform visitors of their potential wait.

Avoid high-traffic days if you can

Patients who have the option might want to consider when they choose to go to

the ER.

" In most emergency rooms, the busiest day is Monday, " says Sayah. " Patients who

get sick on the weekend wait until Monday to go to the hospital because they

don't want to spend their weekend in the ER, " he explains. Studies have shown

that patients who arrive in the ER on Monday rank lowest in terms of patient

satisfaction.

Experts say parental instinct can tip off a parent to a developing problem, but

say there are also some cut-and-dry situations when a parent really should take

a child to the ER. [More tips on how to tell if it is an emergency in our

column: When to take a child to the ER.]

Call your doctor on the way to the emergency room

" It's a good idea to let your doctor call ahead and tell the ER physicians what

they may be thinking, " said Schneider. Your physician may be able to explain

your symptoms more clearly, and when ER doctors hear from a fellow physician, it

might help put you on the radar.

AFTER YOU'VE ARRIVED

Don't leave once you're already waiting

" People often get angry or leave, but that's a bad idea, " says Schneider. " If

you were sick enough to be there in the first place, then you need to wait. "

She says to note that triage nurses are sorting through dozens of patients and

says don't be rude, but do be persistent.

Tell someone if you notice changes

" As you are waiting, if you notice changes in the patient, let the nurses know

there is a new symptom as soon as possible, " says Schneider. According to the

Emergency Severity Index, triage physicians have specific requirements for

assessing pediatric patients.

There are protocols in place to reassess patients in the waiting room and

alerting the staff to changes in symptoms, especially to changes in temperature

and fever, can help your child avoid an excessively long wait in the emergency

room.

Ask for the charge nurse

If you have been waiting for a while, and feel like the situation is getting

worse, ask for the charge nurse or shift supervisor. Experts in emergency

medicine often define urgency using certain terms. They say to advise the person

in charge that you think the patient has an " emergency medical condition that

should be evaluated right away. "

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/13/emergency.room.ep/