According to the CDC, "one in five Americans report visiting emergency room at least once in the past year." But how do you tell when an emergency is truly an emergency that requires after-hours treatment?
The Emergency Department at Corona Regional Medical Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This specialized department is designed for patients with acute or traumatic illnesses or injuries and is staffed by board-certified physicians and nurses who are trained in cardiac life support.
The department is staffed and equipped to care for emergency conditions.
Listen in as Dr. James B Boyd discusses when you should come to Corona Regional Medical Center for your emergency care.
Selected Podcast
When Should You Go to the Emergency Room?
Featured Speaker:
James B Boyd, MD
Dr. James B. Boyd specializes in emergency medicine and is a member of the medical staff at Corona Regional Medical Center. Transcription:
When Should You Go to the Emergency Room?
Melanie Cole (Host): According to the Center for Disease Control, one in five Americans reported visiting an emergency room at least once in the past year. But, how do you tell when an emergency is truly an emergency that requires after hours treatment? My guest today is Dr. James Boyd. He specializes in emergency medicine, and is a member of the medical staff at Corona Regional Medical Center. Welcome to the show, Dr. Boyd. There are so many different conditions. Let’s start with the ones that we know for sure are very emergent. So, would you speak about when someone should go to the emergency room without question--stroke, heart disease--those kinds of things?
Dr. James Boyd (Guest): Yes, well, the primary one would be heart attack, and with a heart attack it’s usually new onset of chest pain that’s lasting greater than 20 minutes. It’s a pain that can radiate to the neck or to the jaw or even to the upper back. It can be associated with nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath and sweating. If you were to have these symptoms, you would immediately want to dial 911 so that you can get to the emergency room as soon as possible so we can initiate evaluation or possible clot-busting drugs that can absolutely open up that coronary artery and prevent a full heart attack.
Melanie: And what about stroke?
Dr. Boyd: Stroke is very similar. There are clot-busting drugs available for stroke symptoms. With stroke, you’re looking for sudden weakness or paralysis, especially of one side of the face or body. A stroke victim can have difficulty speaking and confusion and sometimes associated with a sudden, severe headache or dizziness. By dizziness, I mean vertigo--the type of dizziness where the room seems to be spinning. We’re also concerned about severe allergies. On occasion, people often have allergies that are pretty minor where their skin breaks out, but if they start having their throat closing or their tongue swelling, even severe weakness, then they need to be seen right away because they could be going into shock or they could have obstruction of their airway. Those three cases: heart attack, stroke, severe allergy symptoms, they really require that 911 be called so that the EMS can bring the patient to the emergency room.
Melanie: So, for parents, this can be a difficult decision, and you’ve discussed stroke and heart attack and severe allergies, but when it comes to kids, they have aches and pains and stomach aches, and all kinds of things go on with kids. What do you tell parents that ask you, “When is it okay to wait or call my pediatrician instead of calling 911 or rushing my child to the emergency room?”
Dr. Boyd: Well, a child with a stomach ache that may be chronic can be seen by the pediatrician. I would say if a child is having a constant stomach pain lasting more than two hours, then they need to be seen that day, and probably best seen in the emergency room where we have radiology and tests that can immediately discern what is going on.
Melanie: What about appendicitis? What would someone feel? And, is that an emergent situation?
Dr. Boyd: It is an emergent situation and, generally, a child, in particular, will have pain in their stomach area that subsequently will go down to their right lower abdomen, and it may be associated with vomiting or fever. That’s the child that needs to be assessed that day and best assessed in the emergency room.
Melanie: Is something like a febrile seizure--because seizures are always very, very scary--but is something like that an emergent situation and you want to get them into a trauma center or is it something that comes and goes?
Dr. Boyd: Well, a febrile seizure is--it usually occurs in a child under 6, and it’s associated with a fever. Sometimes, the parent is unaware that the child has a fever, and the first sign of the illness is that the child has the seizure. The first time a child has a febrile seizure, they need to be evaluated to the emergency room to be sure it’s not something that’s more severe. If it’s the second and third episode, they can wait for the seizure to subside as long as one or two minutes, and then call their pediatrician and get instructions. If the seizure persists and continues more than two minutes, then they need to dial 911.
Melanie: So, while we’re talking about 911, do you recommend if it is emergent, that people call 911 or try and drive their loved one to the emergency room themselves?
Dr. Boyd: It depends on how severe the situation is. Obviously, if it’s a heart attack or a stroke, a severe allergy or a long-lasting seizure that we were discussing, then 911 is the most appropriate. I would say that if the family member doesn’t feel comfortable driving the patient to the emergency room, then they should dial 911.
Melanie: That’s very good advice. Now, cuts--people cut themselves while they’re cooking, things happen, and you never quite know whether it’s something that requires stitches. What can you tell the listeners about when they can look at a cut and say, “Oh, I should probably go in and have this checked?”
Dr. Boyd: I would say that if you can pull the skin margins apart, then that needs to be closed and, obviously, if there’s persistent bleeding, then you need help with stitches. And, I would say that a very superficial cut might be well taken care of by the primary physician or by the urgent care center but if it’s a deep cut, it really does need to come to the emergency room.
Melanie: And, then, what can they expect? If people come to the emergency room, what would you like them to know about showing up at the emergency room, what would you want them to bring with?
Dr. Boyd: Well, we’d like them to bring a copy of their allergies; their medications, both what the medicine is and its dosage, and how frequently they’re taking it; and then, their past medical history. We’re interested in knowing what kind of medical problems they have, what type of surgeries they’ve had in the past. It’s wonderful that they have a typed up or a handwritten piece of paper that documents all of that stuff. It makes things so much easier for us.
Melanie: What do you want the families to know about when you guys need to do your thing and they want to stand there and watch what you’re doing? What do you want them to know about what they can expect?
Dr. Boyd: Well, it depends on what we’re doing. Sometimes it’s fine if the family stays in the treatment area, especially if they’re comfortable with it. We don’t like to be suturing someone and then have mom and dad pass out. So, there are certain things that they can observe and, then, there are certain things that are probably best have them wait in the waiting room because it sometimes interferes with the physician himself when he’s trying to perform the task.
Melanie: Dr. Boyd, when is vomiting or diarrhea considered an emergent condition?
Dr. Boyd: Well, vomiting--if the patient has had previous surgeries on their abdomen, then we’re concerned about bowel obstruction. So, we would like to see that patient within hours of the episodes occurring. In addition to that, if they’re having severe pain, obviously, we want to see them. Any patient with severe pain, we want to see immediately. Regarding diarrhea, the consideration would be more of dehydration. So, if you’ve had diarrhea for more than 24 hours, then we’d like to see you and see if we need to rehydrate you.
Melanie: So, in just the last few minutes, Dr. Boyd, what do you want people that may have to go to the emergency room to think about before they go? Is there anything that you can tell them to think about? To plan for?
Dr. Boyd: It largely depends on the time of day. If they come early in the day, there are probably fewer patients in the emergency department. It’s going to be less of a wait. If they come in the afternoon or evening when family practice offices are closed, there’s more likely to be a considerable wait. We try to take care of the most severe cases first and then take care of everybody else. The advantage of the emergency room is that we have everything on site, lab turnaround could be 90 minutes. We have x-ray, CAT scans, MRIs--everything’s available--but sometimes there’s a backup and it takes a couple or few hours to get the patient fully treated.
Melanie: And, why should they come to Corona Regional Medical Center for their care?
Dr. Boyd: Well, at Corona, we have 12 board certified emergency physicians, and just as many wonderful board certified physician assistants. They’re supported by specialists that are excellent in their field and, in turn, we have an association with UCI so that they’re available to us when we have more complex problems. Then, in June, we’re going to have a brand new emergency room available. We’re building a huge structure on the ground, and we’re going to increase our capability to see patients by about 150%.
Melanie: Wow.
Dr. Boyd: And, of course, we’re available 24/7. We’re available every day, all the time.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today. You’re listening to Corona Regional Radio with Corona Regional Medical Center. For more information, you can go to www.coronaregional.com. That’s coronaregional.com. Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Corona Regional Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
When Should You Go to the Emergency Room?
Melanie Cole (Host): According to the Center for Disease Control, one in five Americans reported visiting an emergency room at least once in the past year. But, how do you tell when an emergency is truly an emergency that requires after hours treatment? My guest today is Dr. James Boyd. He specializes in emergency medicine, and is a member of the medical staff at Corona Regional Medical Center. Welcome to the show, Dr. Boyd. There are so many different conditions. Let’s start with the ones that we know for sure are very emergent. So, would you speak about when someone should go to the emergency room without question--stroke, heart disease--those kinds of things?
Dr. James Boyd (Guest): Yes, well, the primary one would be heart attack, and with a heart attack it’s usually new onset of chest pain that’s lasting greater than 20 minutes. It’s a pain that can radiate to the neck or to the jaw or even to the upper back. It can be associated with nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath and sweating. If you were to have these symptoms, you would immediately want to dial 911 so that you can get to the emergency room as soon as possible so we can initiate evaluation or possible clot-busting drugs that can absolutely open up that coronary artery and prevent a full heart attack.
Melanie: And what about stroke?
Dr. Boyd: Stroke is very similar. There are clot-busting drugs available for stroke symptoms. With stroke, you’re looking for sudden weakness or paralysis, especially of one side of the face or body. A stroke victim can have difficulty speaking and confusion and sometimes associated with a sudden, severe headache or dizziness. By dizziness, I mean vertigo--the type of dizziness where the room seems to be spinning. We’re also concerned about severe allergies. On occasion, people often have allergies that are pretty minor where their skin breaks out, but if they start having their throat closing or their tongue swelling, even severe weakness, then they need to be seen right away because they could be going into shock or they could have obstruction of their airway. Those three cases: heart attack, stroke, severe allergy symptoms, they really require that 911 be called so that the EMS can bring the patient to the emergency room.
Melanie: So, for parents, this can be a difficult decision, and you’ve discussed stroke and heart attack and severe allergies, but when it comes to kids, they have aches and pains and stomach aches, and all kinds of things go on with kids. What do you tell parents that ask you, “When is it okay to wait or call my pediatrician instead of calling 911 or rushing my child to the emergency room?”
Dr. Boyd: Well, a child with a stomach ache that may be chronic can be seen by the pediatrician. I would say if a child is having a constant stomach pain lasting more than two hours, then they need to be seen that day, and probably best seen in the emergency room where we have radiology and tests that can immediately discern what is going on.
Melanie: What about appendicitis? What would someone feel? And, is that an emergent situation?
Dr. Boyd: It is an emergent situation and, generally, a child, in particular, will have pain in their stomach area that subsequently will go down to their right lower abdomen, and it may be associated with vomiting or fever. That’s the child that needs to be assessed that day and best assessed in the emergency room.
Melanie: Is something like a febrile seizure--because seizures are always very, very scary--but is something like that an emergent situation and you want to get them into a trauma center or is it something that comes and goes?
Dr. Boyd: Well, a febrile seizure is--it usually occurs in a child under 6, and it’s associated with a fever. Sometimes, the parent is unaware that the child has a fever, and the first sign of the illness is that the child has the seizure. The first time a child has a febrile seizure, they need to be evaluated to the emergency room to be sure it’s not something that’s more severe. If it’s the second and third episode, they can wait for the seizure to subside as long as one or two minutes, and then call their pediatrician and get instructions. If the seizure persists and continues more than two minutes, then they need to dial 911.
Melanie: So, while we’re talking about 911, do you recommend if it is emergent, that people call 911 or try and drive their loved one to the emergency room themselves?
Dr. Boyd: It depends on how severe the situation is. Obviously, if it’s a heart attack or a stroke, a severe allergy or a long-lasting seizure that we were discussing, then 911 is the most appropriate. I would say that if the family member doesn’t feel comfortable driving the patient to the emergency room, then they should dial 911.
Melanie: That’s very good advice. Now, cuts--people cut themselves while they’re cooking, things happen, and you never quite know whether it’s something that requires stitches. What can you tell the listeners about when they can look at a cut and say, “Oh, I should probably go in and have this checked?”
Dr. Boyd: I would say that if you can pull the skin margins apart, then that needs to be closed and, obviously, if there’s persistent bleeding, then you need help with stitches. And, I would say that a very superficial cut might be well taken care of by the primary physician or by the urgent care center but if it’s a deep cut, it really does need to come to the emergency room.
Melanie: And, then, what can they expect? If people come to the emergency room, what would you like them to know about showing up at the emergency room, what would you want them to bring with?
Dr. Boyd: Well, we’d like them to bring a copy of their allergies; their medications, both what the medicine is and its dosage, and how frequently they’re taking it; and then, their past medical history. We’re interested in knowing what kind of medical problems they have, what type of surgeries they’ve had in the past. It’s wonderful that they have a typed up or a handwritten piece of paper that documents all of that stuff. It makes things so much easier for us.
Melanie: What do you want the families to know about when you guys need to do your thing and they want to stand there and watch what you’re doing? What do you want them to know about what they can expect?
Dr. Boyd: Well, it depends on what we’re doing. Sometimes it’s fine if the family stays in the treatment area, especially if they’re comfortable with it. We don’t like to be suturing someone and then have mom and dad pass out. So, there are certain things that they can observe and, then, there are certain things that are probably best have them wait in the waiting room because it sometimes interferes with the physician himself when he’s trying to perform the task.
Melanie: Dr. Boyd, when is vomiting or diarrhea considered an emergent condition?
Dr. Boyd: Well, vomiting--if the patient has had previous surgeries on their abdomen, then we’re concerned about bowel obstruction. So, we would like to see that patient within hours of the episodes occurring. In addition to that, if they’re having severe pain, obviously, we want to see them. Any patient with severe pain, we want to see immediately. Regarding diarrhea, the consideration would be more of dehydration. So, if you’ve had diarrhea for more than 24 hours, then we’d like to see you and see if we need to rehydrate you.
Melanie: So, in just the last few minutes, Dr. Boyd, what do you want people that may have to go to the emergency room to think about before they go? Is there anything that you can tell them to think about? To plan for?
Dr. Boyd: It largely depends on the time of day. If they come early in the day, there are probably fewer patients in the emergency department. It’s going to be less of a wait. If they come in the afternoon or evening when family practice offices are closed, there’s more likely to be a considerable wait. We try to take care of the most severe cases first and then take care of everybody else. The advantage of the emergency room is that we have everything on site, lab turnaround could be 90 minutes. We have x-ray, CAT scans, MRIs--everything’s available--but sometimes there’s a backup and it takes a couple or few hours to get the patient fully treated.
Melanie: And, why should they come to Corona Regional Medical Center for their care?
Dr. Boyd: Well, at Corona, we have 12 board certified emergency physicians, and just as many wonderful board certified physician assistants. They’re supported by specialists that are excellent in their field and, in turn, we have an association with UCI so that they’re available to us when we have more complex problems. Then, in June, we’re going to have a brand new emergency room available. We’re building a huge structure on the ground, and we’re going to increase our capability to see patients by about 150%.
Melanie: Wow.
Dr. Boyd: And, of course, we’re available 24/7. We’re available every day, all the time.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today. You’re listening to Corona Regional Radio with Corona Regional Medical Center. For more information, you can go to www.coronaregional.com. That’s coronaregional.com. Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Corona Regional Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.