Serious medical condition that has symptoms of such a severe nature that if the patient does not receive immediate medical attention, it would place the health of the person, or a fetus in the case of a pregnant woman, in jeopardy.

Inspection and/or testing of the patient and taking of a medical history to discover the nature and extent of an emergency medical condition (e.g., cardiovascular accident, heart attack, poisoning, loss of consciousness, or respiration difficulty).

Individual who provides vital attention as he or she performs prehospital care and transports the sick or injured to a medical facility. EMTs are dispatched to the scene by a 911 operator and work with police and fire department personnel. They determine the nature and extent of the patient’s condition while trying to ascertain whether the patient has preexisting medical problems. Some paramedics are trained to treat patients with minor injuries on the scene of an accident or at their home without transporting them to a medical facility. Emergency treatment for more complicated problems is carried out under the direction of medical doctors by radio preceding or during transport. At the medical facility, EMTs and paramedics help transfer patients to the emergency department, report their observations and actions to emergency department staff, and may provide additional emergency treatment. If a transported patient had a contagious disease, EMTs and paramedics decontaminate the interior of the ambulance and report cases to the proper authorities. In addition, paramedics may administer drugs orally and intravenously, interpret electrocardiograms (ECGs), perform endotracheal intubations, and use monitors and other complex equipment. Formal training and certification is necessary to become an EMT or paramedic. A high school diploma is typically required to enter a formal training program. Some programs offer an associate degree along with the formal EMT training. All 50 states have a certification procedure. In most states and the District of Columbia, registration with the NREMT is required at some or all levels of certification. Other states administer their own certification examination or provide the option of taking the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians examination. To maintain certification, EMTs and paramedics must reregister, usually every 2 years. Also see first responder, EMT basic (EMT-1), EMT intermediate (EMT-2 and EMT-3), and EMT paramedic (EMT-4).

Requires any Medicare-participating hospital that operates a hospital emergency department to provide an appropriate medical screening examination to any patient who requests such an examination. If the hospital determines that the patient has an emergency medical condition, it must either stabilize the patient’s condition or arrange for a transfer. However, the hospital may only transfer the patient if the medical benefits of the transfer outweigh the risks or if the patient requests the transfer. This is also known as the “anti-dumping law.”

Branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries that result from trauma or sudden illness. Generally these cases are seen in a hospital emergency department.

Patient admitted for diagnosis and treatment of a condition that needs immediate attention but who will not be admitted to that facility or transferred to another facility.