1) Introduction to the Emergency Room
Orientation to the ED
- medical treatment facility
- acute care of patients
- without prior appt (by own means or ambulance)
- provides initial treatment for a broad spectrum of illnesses and injuries (could be life
threatening and require immediate attention)
- open 24-7-365
Types of conditions that present to ED
- car accidents
- injuries from fall or sports
- burns
- heart attacks, chest pain
- overdoses
- loss of vision, hearing
etc.
Basic flow of a patient
triage -> registration -> patient room -> physical exam -> diagnostic tests -> results and
disposition
Basic flow of a patient: Triage
- patient's condition prioritized (usually by nurse)
- brief assessment, vital signs, assignment of chief complaint
- face to face or through radio with ambulance crew
- categorization of patients
3 categories a patient can be prioritized in triage
1. immediately life threatening
2. urgent, but not immediately life threatening
3. less urgent
Basic flow of a patient: Registration
- obtain patient's insurance info, Medicare, Medicaid or HMO [health maintenance
organization] card
- develop medical record with medical hx, lab tests, xrays, etc.
- bill generated from info
- if patient's condition is life-threatening or arrives in ambulance, completed later
Basic flow of a patient: Patient Room
- seen by ED nurse
- obtains more detailed info about pt and reason for visiting ED
- after, marks pt as ready to be seen by emergency medicine physician
- ER physician will ask more detailed info (pt's present illness, past medical problems,
family hx, social hx, and a complete review of all body systems)
PEx
Physical Exam
Basic flow of a patient: Physical Exam (PEx)
- conduct physical exam with different techniques
different techniques during physical exam (PEx)
Orientation to the ED
- medical treatment facility
- acute care of patients
- without prior appt (by own means or ambulance)
- provides initial treatment for a broad spectrum of illnesses and injuries (could be life
threatening and require immediate attention)
- open 24-7-365
Types of conditions that present to ED
- car accidents
- injuries from fall or sports
- burns
- heart attacks, chest pain
- overdoses
- loss of vision, hearing
etc.
Basic flow of a patient
triage -> registration -> patient room -> physical exam -> diagnostic tests -> results and
disposition
Basic flow of a patient: Triage
- patient's condition prioritized (usually by nurse)
- brief assessment, vital signs, assignment of chief complaint
- face to face or through radio with ambulance crew
- categorization of patients
3 categories a patient can be prioritized in triage
1. immediately life threatening
2. urgent, but not immediately life threatening
3. less urgent
Basic flow of a patient: Registration
- obtain patient's insurance info, Medicare, Medicaid or HMO [health maintenance
organization] card
- develop medical record with medical hx, lab tests, xrays, etc.
- bill generated from info
- if patient's condition is life-threatening or arrives in ambulance, completed later
Basic flow of a patient: Patient Room
- seen by ED nurse
- obtains more detailed info about pt and reason for visiting ED
- after, marks pt as ready to be seen by emergency medicine physician
- ER physician will ask more detailed info (pt's present illness, past medical problems,
family hx, social hx, and a complete review of all body systems)
PEx
Physical Exam
Basic flow of a patient: Physical Exam (PEx)
- conduct physical exam with different techniques
different techniques during physical exam (PEx)
