Sudden and unexpected medical condition, or the worsening of a condition, that poses a threat to life, limb, or sight and requires immediate medical treatment to alleviate suffering (e.g., shortness of breath, chest pain, drug overdose). In most managed care plans, the only time a person can be hospitalized without precertification is when there is an emergent situation. Also referred to as medical emergency .

Inpatient hospital or facility acceptance of a patient who requires immediate medical or psychiatric care because of life-threatening, serious, and possibly disabling conditions.

Health care services provided to prevent serious impairment of bodily functions or serious dysfunction to any body organ or part. Advanced life support may be required. Not all care provided in an emergency department of a hospital can be termed “emergency care.”

Free-standing health facility that is not hospital affiliated and provides short-term care. It usually is open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week and handles minor medical emergencies or services and procedures that need urgent treatment. Also called emergi-center, free-standing emergency medical service center, free-standing urgent care center, episodic acute care center, urgent care center, urgi-center .

Dental care performed to relieve oral pain, eliminate acute infection, control a life-threatening oral condition, or treat an injury to the teeth, jaws, or associated facial structures.

Hospital outpatient facility available 24 hours a day that gives medical services to patients for emergent medical and surgical conditions that need immediate attention but for which the patient will not be admitted to that facility or transferred to another facility. Also called emergency room (ER) .

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).