Definition of Emergency

I see it day in and day out. People who come in to the ER for minor complaints that are much better suited to a walk-in clinic than a hospital Emergency Room!

Not only is this a nuisance for the staff, it creates backlog for the people who are truly ill and require immediate medical attention.

So if you have injured yourself/ are feeling ill and are debating whether or not to go the ER, here are some tips on what ARE NOT emergencies ( please note: all examples taken from real life )

1) You have minor blisters on your feet, because your shoes are too tight

2)You have a headache, which you have not yet tried to treat with Tylenol or Ibuprofen ( side note: when you get to the ER, that is the first thing the nurse will give you, anyways).
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3)The skin has grown over the back of your large rhinestone earring

4) You are depressed, with no suicidal ideation. (You will just have to wait for hours to see the doctor, waiting down a hallway with other psych patients, wearing brown pj's, which is bound to make you even more depressed).

5)You have a minor cough/sniffles. Go to a clinic. Seriously.

6) You and your entire family are completely asymptomatic, but it is your belief that you all have parasites.

7) You've smoked pot for the first time with a bunch of friends, and now you are anxious and believe you are dying.

8) You have a paper cut on your finger.

9) You are not allergic to bees, and you were stung. On the arm. Once.

10) You have run out of birth control, and want to renew your prescription.

All these things are not emergent, and do not require your presence in your local emergency room. Please use your local walk-in clinic or family doctor as your first line of defense. If you truly do need to visit the ER for any of the above conditions, your doctor will let you know.

Now off to another day at the office....