High-Speed Motor Vehicle Accidents: Emergency Room Tips
As you leave your house daily to go to work, school or run errands, you or your loved ones don’t expect to get into a car accident. However, the unforeseen can happen on the roads on any given day.
Speeding is the leading cause of car accidents, and is one that significantly increases the risk of death or injury for motorists in Texas. The chances of being incapacitated in a traffic crash are highest for drivers traveling at high speeds.
What to Do When Involved in a High-Speed Motor Vehicle Accident
A common mistake people make after a vehicle accident is to delay getting treatment. Some people have the “John Wayne” syndrome. Meaning, they believe that they are too strong to feel pain resulting from a vehicle accident, and that they don’t need to see a physician immediately.
If you have been in a vehicle accident, you need to be checked out by an emergency physician at FrontLine ER to avoid developing complications. Car accidents can leave devastating injuries that may lead to a traumatic brain injury which requires years of rehabilitation and therapy
Most Common Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries
Motor vehicle accident injuries range from minor to fatal. Regardless of the type of injury, many auto accident victims find it hard to go about their daily lives or return to work immediately. Some common injuries include:
• Neck, Spinal and Back Injuries
• Scarring from glass shatters and chemicals spills
• Skull fractures and Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Hip fractures, Tibia and fibula fractures in the legs
• Broken pelvis and wrists
• Busted ribs
After a car accident, individuals suffering from fractures and broken bones will require to go for emergency care at FrontLine ER.
Getting to the Physician within Hours of the Accident
First, if you have a family physician, you can call the office and inform their staff that you have been in a motor vehicle accident and need assistance immediately. If you are in Richmond or Dallas Texas and are unable to see your usual doctor right away, then you should go to FrontLine ER.
Secondly, in case you are not the victim, call 911 or rush to any emergency care facility nearby. Do not attempt to move a patient as you may injure their back or neck. Remain calm until the medical technicians arrive to take the victim to the ER.
What Happens at Frontline ER Emergency Rooms?
It is crucial that you be examined by an emergency physician soon after a vehicle accident even if you are not feeling any pain or discomfort. They are in a better position to spot motor vehicle accident problems that you may otherwise, not recognize.
On arrival, the admitting emergency team will take you to an examination room and ask questions about the accident and whether you are in any form of. If you are in pain, you will receive a morphine injection to numb the pain.
Next, the doctor at FrontLine ER comes in and begins an initial exam to identify any risk or life- or limb-threatening emergencies. He will do a visual inspection for any external bleeding or misaligned bones, and confirm whether the heart and lungs are functioning normally.
At this point, several tests can be ordered such as a CT scan of the neck, or cervical spine, abdomen and pelvis, knees and the back, as well as a chest X-Ray.
If the tests are negative for a bone fracture, clinicians often follow up with an MRI to check for any damages to ligaments. Ligament injury may imply instability, which if not treated could lead to a spinal cord injury.
Treatment of Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries
The type of medical treatment you will receive depends on the kinds of injuries that you have sustained. Some injuries are treated by taking pain medication and getting enough rest.
Other catastrophic injuries, such as head injuries, internal injuries, cuts, and lacerations require surgical intervention. Careful monitoring is also necessary because if these injuries worsen, they can sometimes become disastrous.
In motor vehicle accidents where victims have severely damaged their fingers, arms, toes, and legs, medical professionals may have to perform amputations. Accident victims recovering from an amputation must adjust and learn to live life with a prosthetic leg or arm.
Why You Should Seek Injury Rehabilitation
Many necks and spine injuries often cause the accident victim to experience intense pain and discomfort. For patients to be able to cope with this pain and agony, they need to undergo treatment with a physical therapist, chiropractor, and other treating physicians.
An experienced chiropractor helps in identifying back injuries and soft tissue injuries that might have been missed even after an examination at the emergency care.
Injury rehabilitation works to reduce your pain, improve blood circulation and speed up the healing process. Your rehabilitation time may be extended depending on the severity of the injuries. It is essential for accident victims who have undergone surgery to complete injury rehabilitation to reclaim their strength and mobility.
