Treatments & Therapies

Emergency Medicine – Treatment, Effects & Risks

Emergency medicine

As a branch of medicine, emergency medicine deals with the detection and treatment of medical emergencies. It is closely linked to the sub-areas of internal medicine , surgery , anesthesiology and neurology . In Germany, emergency medicine is a specialty that requires additional medical training.

What is emergency medicine?

Emergency medicine encompasses an entire professional rescue chain, in which several medical sub-areas are involved. These include internal medicine, anaesthesiology, neurology and surgery. Rescue medicine and disaster medicine are also closely related to emergency medicine. Rescue medicine deals with medical emergency measures carried out outside of medical facilities.

It cannot be separated from emergency medicine in hospitals either in terms of content or expertise. Disaster medicine describes the aspect of emergency medicine that occurs in disaster situations. While mass care for the injured person has to be organized in the event of a disaster, individual life-saving measures are carried out in rescue medicine. Emergency medicine is therefore a very complex field and requires extensive medical training.

This includes specialist knowledge of how to proceed in the event of a mass incidence of sick and injured people, of psychiatric emergencies and of suitable measures for the therapy and diagnosis of sudden medical emergencies. This also includes knowledge of the organizational and legal bases of the rescue service. The personnel working in emergency medicine are referred to as rescue personnel. It consists of emergency doctors, paramedics, paramedics, paramedics, paramedics, nurses and first aiders.

Treatments & Therapies

Emergency medicine is used when there are acute disturbances in the vital functions of the body. The severe health impairments can be caused by illnesses, accidents or disasters. First, life-saving measures must be taken. It depends on the life-threatening condition.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation must be performed immediately in the event of cardiac arrest . In the case of injuries, professional immobilization of the body, its repositioning (repositioning) and, if necessary, the application of a pressure bandage to stop bleeding is necessary. The therapeutic measures also include the professional positioning and rescue of emergency patients. If necessary, a cardiac massage is necessary. Emergency medicine covers a wide range of disorders to be treated. These include heart attacks , strokes, sudden pain and other life-threatening medical conditions that occur suddenly as part of an underlying medical condition. Sometimes the causes are known because the patient has been suffering from a serious illness for a long time.

Emergency medical measures that are necessary with regard to the underlying disease can then be initiated quickly. The challenge for emergency treatment, however, is when crises occur suddenly without the cause being known. Here, too, there are first emergency measures that have a life-saving effect. Accidents and disasters are a major area of ​​application for emergency medicine. In the event of accidents involving only a few people, first aid measures must be taken immediately. These include recovery and manual ventilation and cardiac massage , if necessary . In the case of catastrophes with a large number of injured people, individual medical aspects often cannot be taken into account.

In principle, the triage of those affected must take place. Triage is the prioritization of medical assistance in the event of a very high number of injured people. This is unavoidable in this case in order to be able to save as many people as possible. Only the most necessary life-saving measures can be taken during the pre-hospital treatment. Further treatment takes place in the clinical area. Here, emergency medicine is closely interlinked with various other medical areas such as intensive care medicine , accident surgery, internal medicine, psychiatry and neurosurgery . Paediatrics also plays a role in childrena role. In the clinical field, diagnostic examinations within emergency medicine are gaining in importance.

Diagnosis & examination methods

Within emergency medicine, the reliable recognition of threatening disorders is the basis for the successful treatment of the patient. When first contacting the life-threatening patient, there is little time for an extensive examination. Immediate life-saving measures must be taken. Here, easy-to-use devices are used for the quick check.

In the case of life-threatening injuries, for example, the initial trauma check is carried out, which is necessary for transport and further treatment. In principle, all parts of the body are examined in accordance with the situation. During this check, special attention is paid to pain reactions, abnormal joint and bone position and other special features. In preclinical emergency medicine, the examination is limited to the most endangered body regions: the chest , abdomen , pelvis and thighs. The examination is then carried out more intensively in the emergency room of the hospital. Another quick examination is the neurocheck. The functionality of the nervous system is tested, with pain perception, motor functions and blood circulation being examined.

This is particularly important if a spinal injury is suspected. There are a number of other equipment options available to emergency medicine. It is possible to continuously monitor the heart by means of ECG monitoring. Dangerous cardiac arrhythmias can be diagnosed as part of this examination . The arterial oxygen saturation of the blood is examined by means of pulse oximetry . This measure is used to monitor patients during patient transport, after artificial respiration or after oxygen deficiency states. Another examination method is the so-called capnometry using a capnograph.

The carbon dioxide content of the exhaled air is determined. Capnometry is used to optimize ventilation during ventilation. It can also be used to estimate the metabolism during resuscitation treatment. Blood sugar measurements are also carried out to determine any hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic states. Tests for troponin can give an indication of a heart attack. Finally, tests for toxic substances also take place in emergency medicine.

Lisa Newlon
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Hello! I am Lisa Newlon, and I am a medical writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience in the healthcare industry. I have a Master’s degree in Medicine, and my deep understanding of medical terminology, practices, and procedures has made me a trusted source of information in the medical world.