You're in the ER, and it's your turn to be seen by the doctor. Let's take a moment to learn what you can expect.
During this part of your visit, we need to figure out what is wrong. This is called an "assessment." We'll start by asking you a lot of questions about your medical history. Is this a problem that you've had before? Have you had signs or symptoms recently? Does your family have a history of this problem? Is there anything we need to know about you to help us treat it better? A nurse, doctor or other health professional will examine you carefully.
After this, you may need to do some tests. If you're having a heart issue, for example, you may need an EKG. If you think you might have a broken bone, you may need an X-ray. We may need to test your blood or your pee. These tests will give us info about what's happening in your body. If we do tests, you will need to wait as we look at the results. Once we have all of this info, we can make a care plan for you and figure out what kind of treatment you need.