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    Your ER Survival Guide
    Your ER Survival Guide
    Your ER Survival Guide
    Ebook273 pages59 minutes

    Your ER Survival Guide

    By Kathleen A. Handal, MD

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Few people get through life without at least one trip to the emergency room (ER), either as a patient or support person for a family member or friend. 'Your ER Survial Guide' is designed to help calm readers’ fears by giving them the lowdown on how an ER operates. The book is written by Kathleen Handal, MD, an emergency physician with over 20 years experience. Handal is a nationally and internationally known emergency medicine physician who authored “The American Red Cross First Aid & Safety Handbook” and co-authored a series of medical textbooks.
    Doc Handal ER Guide is available an electronic and print version to advises readers on how to navigate the ER. Included are ten simple steps to follow to get ready for an ER visit, as well as valuable insight into how an ER operates so readers can advocate for the best care possible. Complicated tests and terminology are explained in easy-to-understand terms.
    Doctors and nurses are making decisions in a fast-paced, stressful environment. Mistakes can and do happen. So the more people know about what to expect the less likely one of those mistakes will happen to them. Reading the book is like having Doc Handal at your side when you need her the most. Take it with you when you go!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKathleen A. Handal, MD
    Release dateMar 6, 2011
    ISBN9780982713129
    Your ER Survival Guide
    Author

    Kathleen A. Handal, MD

    Doc Handal, M.D. is a nationally and internationally known emergency medicine ‘Doc’. She believes physicians have a responsibility to teach and share medical common sense.

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      Book preview

      Your ER Survival Guide - Kathleen A. Handal, MD

      YOUR ER SURVIVAL GUIDE

      By

      Kathleen A. Handal, MD

      * * * *

      Published by DocHandal, LLC

      Copyright © 2011-2018, Kathleen A. Handal, MD

      Reviewed 1/2018

      All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in part or in whole by any process without written permission from the author, Kathleen A. Handal, MD

      ISBN 978-0-9827131-2-9

      This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      DocHandal, LLC publishes first aid, medical and safety materials in a variety of electronic formats. Discounts for bulk orders and customized editions may be available from the publisher.

      Visit http://www.DocHandal.com for more information.

      * * * *

      DISCLAIMER: This is a guide to assist when considering medical assistance for an emergency. The author does not represent that every acceptable facet of seeking emergency medical care is contained herein or those abnormal or unusual circumstances may not warrant or require additional activities. This material is not designed to take the place of a visit to a medical care facility or evaluation by a physician. Doc Handal recommends that you read this long before you have to seek medical care in an ER.

      The information within this guide is a compilation of general ER operational aspects and information reflecting the current features, knowledge and accepted emergency medicine practice in the United States at the time this guide was published. The reader is urged to learn about their local hospital’s medical resources.

      * * * *

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Kathleen Handal, MD is a nationally and internationally known emergency medicine Doc.  She authored The American Red Cross First Aid & Safety Handbook which was written for the lay audience.

      Doc believes physicians have a responsibility to teach and share medical common sense. Her website, www.Dochandal.com and podcast channel– Doc Handal Speaks, Listen Up!, serve as bases for her many consumer education endeavors. A frequent host and co-host on talk-radio health shows, she has also appeared on CNN and the Today Show. Her Medical Emergencies in the Workplace video won a bronze medal in the International Cindy Competition and was a Telly Award finalist. She has co-authored a series of medical textbooks.

      As part of her dedication to public education, she wrote, directed and produced "Trauma Run", a nationally distributed video for grades 2-6. The video, produced in Spanish and English, teaches children how to respond to a medical emergency when no adults are available.

      Her latest endeavor is the launch of Doc Handal Guides, an affordable series of medical books on topics written for laypersons. The first book in the series focuses on her emergency medicine expertise. "Doc’s First Aid Guide" (English, Spanish and French) outlines the steps a person should take in a variety of emergency situations. All Doc Handal’s Guides are available as E-versions and print.

      In "Your ER Survival Guide" she gives valuable insight into the goings - on in an emergency room (ER), so you’ll know how to get the best care possible. It’s like having Doc Handal at your side when you need her the most.

      * * * *

      Acknowledgments

      Many thanks to Brian Coonce, Barbara O'Neill-Maguire, RN-BSN, OCN, Maria Allo, MD, FACS, FCCM, Sue Viall, RN-BSN,CMR, Erika Wavak, MD, BCEM, Howard Fleishon, MD, MMM, FACR and all the ER teams’ members who over the years contributed to helping me make a difference.

      * * * *

      CONTENTS

      INTRODUCTION

      CHAPTER 1

      Be Prepared To Act Quickly And Correctly: Ten Steps

      1. Create an Emergency Info Sheet (EIS)

      2. Stock Your First Aid Kit and Your Medicine Cabinet

      3. Learn First Aid and Read Your First Aid Book!

      4. Make a Health History Sheet

      Here’s a sample Health History Sheet (Medical History / Medication List)

      Always Carry With You...

      Know Your Blood Pressure (BP)

      5. Know Your Insurance Coverage

      6. Get Your Legal Documents In Order

      7. Get to Know Your ERs

      8. Prepare Your Children for their First ER Visit

      9. Know When To Go To The ER

      What can you do when someone refuses medical help?

      10. Get Ready for Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

      What to Take to the ER

      CHAPTER 2

      Arriving At The ER

      Business Card, Please!

      Presenting Your Problem

      Language Barriers

      ID Please!!! Make Sure They've Got The Right Patient

      Why other people are being taken in ahead of you

      Fast Track Option

      While You’re Waiting…and Waiting

      Nothing By Mouth!

      Organize Your Thoughts

      You’re Up!

      CHAPTER 3

      Meet Your Team

      Your Nurse

      EM Doctors

      Hospitalists

      Physicians Assistants

      Residents

      Interns and Medical Students

      Nurse Practitioner (NP) and Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioners (APRN)

      Hospitalists

      Phlebotomists

      Transporters

      CHAPTER 4

      Studies & Procedures

      Interpreting Blood Tests

      Radiology, Imaging Studies

      Intravenous (IV) Line Insertion

      Monitoring your heart

      Nasogastric (NG) Tube Insertion

      Breathing Aids

      Closing a Wound

      Cast and Splint

      Nerve Block

      Joint Tap

      Foley Catheter Insertion

      Straight Catheterization

      CHAPTER 5

      Medical Dynamics

      Your Role As A Patient

      Your Role As Family / Friend

      Complaints

      CHAPTER 6

      Leaving the ER

      CHAPTER 7

      Deciphering Medical Jargon

      * * * *

      INTRODUCTION

      Few people get through life without at least one trip to the emergency room (ER), either as a patient or support person for a family member or friend. If you’ve already experienced your first visit you’re probably dreading the idea of ever having to return.  Why is it taking so long? What are they doing? Why isn’t anyone telling me anything?  Remember all those questions that were running through your mind? 

      Your ER Survival Guide is designed to help calm your fears by addressing these questions and more. After all, who is better equipped to help you than a doctor who worked more than 20 years in the ER?  I’m going to give you ten simple steps to follow to get you ready for an ER visit. Then I’ll provide you with valuable insight into how an ER operates so you’ll know how to get the best care possible. It will be like having Doc Handal at your side when you need her the most.

      A trip to the ER is a team effort. I’ll introduce you to some of the key players---doctors, physician assistants, residents, nurses, and technicians--- and explain their roles in your care. They’ll be poking, prodding and asking you a lot of questions and possibly running a lot of tests. We’ll cover some of the basics and more so you’ll have a better understanding of what they’re looking for and why.

      Remember, too, that you, your family and friends are also part of this team. The care you receive relies heavily on your presentation, your medical history, as well as the current signs and symptoms of your problem, so it’s important to be prepared. Taking responsibility for your own health care is key to surviving the ER.

      So pay close attention and do what you can now to get

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