ER

What is the ER service?

The ER service is staffed by doctors who specialise in the care of patients who need a quick diagnosis and immediate treatment. Coordination between specialists and clear protocols enable emergencies to be dealt with efficiently.

At Quirón Salud we consider the triage unit to be essential for providing suitable care, as it establishes the order of priority according to the severity of the case, which does not always coincide with the order of arrival or the patient’s own perceived sense of urgency. After a rapid assessment of the symptoms and condition of the patients, they are classified into five groups:

• Absolute priority: care with no waiting time.
• High priority: life-threatening emergency or very severe pain.
• Moderate priority: urgent but stable, with potential risk to life.
• Low priority: minor emergency with no risk.
• Very low priority: not an emergency.

Scope of application of the ER

The scope of action of ER doctors is very broad, as patients with pathologies of all kinds are treated 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Doctors work in a collaborative way in order to offer a quality service. Therefore, ER doctors assess the symptoms, make a diagnosis, and establish the most suitable treatment. In the event that the diagnosed illness requires assessment or care at that time by another speciality, whether medical or surgical, ER doctors request the collaboration of other specialists who are experts in a specific field.

Therefore, medical emergencies are treated in the first instance by ER doctors, who then request the collaboration of the corresponding specialist depending on the case and the specific approach required. There are situations in which the initial assessment is made directly by the corresponding specialist, such as paediatric, gynaecological and ophthalmological emergencies.

Which patients is it for?

At our ER service we treat patients who need immediate or emergency care because they are in a life-threatening situation. We also deal with people with serious conditions that require rapid treatment.

Techniques, procedures and diagnostic methods

Our ER specialists are experts in the application of precision techniques to treat patients with serious conditions. In addition, diagnostic tests require immediate, rigorous results, which is why state-of-the-art devices are used. Some of the most common procedures in the ER service include:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG): test to record the electrical activity of the heart and detect arrhythmias or myocardial infarctions.
• Bladder catheterisation: procedure in which urine is drained from the body by inserting a catheter through the urethra.
• Otoscopy: visual examination of the ear canal and eardrum with the aid of an otoscope, which is a rigid device with a beam of light.
• Lumbar puncture: test in which a fine needle is inserted into the spinal column to take a sample of cerebrospinal fluid for diagnostic purposes.
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): emergency manoeuvre to ensure that patients in cardiorespiratory arrest receive the necessary oxygen in their vital organs. This manoeuvre involves rhythmic chest compressions at the tip of the sternum.