Going to an Emergency Room for Sports-Related Injuries
Sports injuries occur every day. They can range from the severe to the minor injuries. For instance, there are 25,000 sprained ankles in the US daily. Besides that, concussions are quite common, especially in contact sports. However, when you or your child has an injury playing sports, it can be hard to determine whether to visit the ER or not. Here is some information that we at Frontline ER have prepared about going to the ER for sports injuries.
Go for only serious cases
The emergency room needs to be reserved for only the most serious cases. Minor broken bones and cuts should be taken to an urgent care center or your ordinary doctor. While having a broken finger can be painful, it does not qualify as an emergency. In the most likely scenario, you will have to wait for hours before you are served.
Concussions
Detecting a concussion is another matter. If you witness someone getting a blow to their head, observe if they are having a headache afterward. Besides that, check whether they have light sensitivity, sudden sleepiness, and ringing ears. This is a minor concussion and there is a need to visit the ER. An ER will have the equipment and expertise required to treat such a concussion.
Losing consciousness
If a person loses their consciousness or begins to experience nausea or vomiting due to a head injury, you might need to visit the ER. The emergency room will have the facilities needed to scan the brain and assess whether there is a major injury. Besides that, the ER has the expertise needed to deal with any immediate danger to the health of the brain.
A long bone is out of place or crooked
A visible deformity in a major bone such as a leg bone indicates that you have a major injury such as a dislocation or fracture. To make an accurate assessment, simply compare the injured side to the uninjured one to prove the deformity. Even if you are not in severe pain, going to the ER will help to reduce any long-term effects by placing it back in the right position.
The area of injury is extremely swollen
A fracture will usually cause the surrounding soft tissue to swell up as blood leaks into them. A mild swelling is not a cause for concern. However, if the swelling looks quite significant, it might be a good idea for you to head to the ER.
You are unable to bear any weight on it
An injury to the lower extremity can be quite painful. The pain could cause you some discomfort as you try to walk. However, if the injury is so severe that it becomes impossible to place even a tiny amount of weight on it, visit the ER.
There is a bone sticking out of the skin
If you can see a piece of your bone poking out via an opening on your skin, there is no doubt that an ER visit is the only option. The doctors at the ER have the expertise and equipment that could help to save your bone. The treatment will entail removing any foreign material and returning the poking bone back to its original position.
The bleeding will not stop
In some cases, you may only suffer a small pinhole wound. However, blood may start seeing out of the wound endlessly. That suggests there was a fracture, which managed to poke through the skin but rescinded back below the skin. In such a case, it would be prudent to visit the ER. For one, it might indicate that you may have suffered a cut to an artery. This is a dangerous situation and it needs to be remedied fast with an ER visit.
You have some nerve injury
If you feel numbness, tingling, or weakness at the site of the injury, it might be a sign of nerve injury. However, it might also be a sign of an ordinary injury. Though, if you find that you are unable to move a certain body part, it might be a sign that you should pay a visit to the ER immediately.
The pain is excruciating
Pain is a common reason why people visit the ER. If after a fall, you find a certain part of your body such as back, shoulder or wrist is in unbearable pain, it is time to visit the ER. It is especially so if the pain is so much that it makes it almost impossible for you to think.
Visit Frontline ER
Frontline ER is a modern ER with all the medical equipment and expertise that you need for your sports injury. The facility deals with numerous such injuries every day. Thus, they already have the experience on how to handle your particular case. If you experience a major sports injury and you are close to Frontline ER, consider paying them a visit to have it handled professionally.
