General Emergency
Emergency Services Department > General Emergency
The Acute Care section of the Emergency Department is designed to handle more serious and often life-threatening injuries or medical conditions. In the Acute Care section of the Emergency Department you will be seen by a physician and may experience some or all of the following:
Ongoing care by a nurse assigned to you and your area
Blood drawn for laboratory tests (these tests may take more than one hour to be completed)
X-rays - although it only takes a few minutes to take x-rays, the Emergency Department physician as well as the Radiology physician must examine the x-rays and make a determination before you will know the results (this process often takes a minimum of one hour)
An EKG (Heart Tracing)
Depending on your healthcare provider’s assessment you may also need:
Medications
Surgery
IV Fluids
Admission to the hospital
Stitches
Bandages
Splints or casts
A visit from a specialist
All of these procedures take varying amounts of time. The nurse that is caring for you can give you a better idea of the length of time you can expect to wait. We encourage you to talk to your nurse about any questions you may have concerning your care.