Quote:
Originally Posted by Twistys Tim
If you have a headache, which will not go away -- the best place to start is to go to your family doctor. If they are concerned, they will book you in to see a specialist. If I had a persistent headache, I would not go to an ER, I would go to a walk-in clinic.
The same as if I had a sore knee, I would go to an ER. But if I had chest pains, and tingling / numbness in my arms and hands -- I would go to the ER (via ambulance).
An emergency room, by definition, is for emergencies (broken arm, chest pains, head injuries, etc.). I think that people who turn up because they have a sore throat should be made to wait until they go away -- aversion therapy  |
Really depends on situation and person though. A headache can also be an aneurysm and if not seen that day or perhaps in hours it could burst and game over.
Not saying everyone needs to run to the ER for a headache either. Few actually do and again very often hospitals have both ER's and urgent care centers. Then triage will deal with and prioritize people in either one.