Headache or ER visit?

How can you distinguish between a headache and something more serious? When should you head out to the ER and when should you just take a pain medication and head off to bed? Various analyses have been taken, and there was one study conducted by the University of Southern California-Neurology, Los Angeles, CA a couple of years ago. It looked at: “the demographics, diagnosis, and treatment patterns in patients with headache-seeking treatment in one of the busiest emergency rooms (ER) of an academic medical center in the USA. The question one wants to ask is it really a good idea to go to the ER or can one find more appropriate and efficient care elsewhere? One has to ask if they are just panicking (due to the understandable severity of the pain) or really need to see an ER doctor. The ER really should be used for just that – emergency medicine. If a headache can be taken care of by avoiding the ER, that should be done. Remember: being in the ER can be very loud and stressful; two factors that are not good for people suffering from very bad headaches. But if nothing eases the pain and your local physician is not available then a trip to the ER would be advised. Take care to analyze the specifics of your situation before heading for the ER.

Learn Basic Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

Of course, it isn’t something one wants to have to do ever need to know, but having the know-how when it comes to CPR, is something one definitely should try and learn. There isn’t always the time needed to get to the ER. One can begin these lessons by studying the subject online.

3 Common Summer Dangers: Dr. Josyann Abisaab

During the summer, doctors in emergency rooms see an increased rise in visits. This is particularly true in the pediatric emergency rooms, and often involves a number of repeat issues. Certainly, if emergency room doctors like Josyann Abisaab can make parents aware of these dangers, it may help to decrease emergency room visits.

“In the summer, we see a much higher incidence of injuries caused by accidents and sports,” says Dr Scalzo, who is a SLUCare pediatrician at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. “Kids are going to be kids and they are going to get hurt. But many of these accidents could be prevented by proper parental supervision.”
Three areas that create many accidents include trampolines, all-terrain vehicles and bikes/skates/skateboards.

Parents need to be very careful when allowing their children to use any of these items, and children need to do so under adult supervision. Obviously, these items are used during other times of the year as well, but children have more time for these activities during the summer and they tend to be less supervised than they are during the school year.