Medical emergency

A medical emergency (pronunciation: /ˈmɛdɪkəl ɪˈmɜːdʒənsi/) is an acute injury or illness that poses an immediate risk to a person's life or long-term health. These emergencies may require assistance from another person, who should ideally be suitably qualified to do so, although some of these emergencies can be dealt with by the individual themselves.

Etymology

The term "medical emergency" is derived from the Latin medicus meaning "pertaining to physicians" and the Middle English emergencie meaning "an unforeseen occurrence".

Related terms

Emergency medicine: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of unforeseen illness or injury.
Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medical and surgical care to patients arriving at the hospital in need of immediate care.
Emergency medical services: A service providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient believes constitute a medical emergency.
Triage: The process of determining the priority of patients' treatments based on the severity of their condition.
Cardiac arrest: A sudden loss of blood flow resulting from the failure of the heart to effectively pump.
Stroke: A medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain results in cell death.
Trauma: A type of damage to the mind that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event.