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Pain serves as an indicator to determine the nature and severity of an injury, but it can also worsen an injury, reduce mobility, and affect quality of life. Analgesic drugs are used to reduce the pain associated with injuries, depending on the person's age, the severity of the injury, and previous medical conditions that may affect pain relief.
Listed below are conditions that constitute a possible medical emergency and may require immediate first aid, emergency room care, surgery, or care by a physician or nurse. Not all medical emergencies are life-threatening; some conditions require medical attention in order to prevent significant and long-lasting effects on physical or mental ...
Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition due to the potential for multi-organ dysfunction, [6] with typical complications including seizures, rhabdomyolysis, or kidney failure. [3] Heat stroke occurs because of high external temperatures and/or physical exertion.
Advanced trauma life support (ATLS) is a training program for medical providers in the management of acute trauma cases, developed by the American College of Surgeons. Similar programs exist for immediate care providers such as paramedics.
Despite this, "critical but stable" conditions are frequently reported, likely because the word "critical" in mainstream usage is often used to denote a condition that is severe and immediately life-threatening. The use of such condition terminology in the U.S. media has increased since the passing of the HIPAA in 1996.
The term "life-threatening" in the definition of "serious" refers to an event in which the patient was at risk of death at the time of the event; it does not refer to an event which hypothetically might have caused death if it were more severe. [2]
Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. [4] [7] This initial stage of sepsis is followed by suppression of the immune system. [8] Common signs and symptoms include fever, increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, and confusion. [1]
Treatment depends on how severe the patient's condition is and the cause of the obstruction. If the patient is choking on a foreign body, the Heimlich maneuver can be used. More invasive methods, such as intubation, may be necessary to secure the airway. In severe cases, intubation may be difficult and a cricothyrotomy or tracheostomy may be ...