Emergency

Below are the details of our article prepared by Bursa Private Medicabil Hospital about important information patients and their families should know regarding the Emergency Department.

What Is an Emergency Department?

An Emergency Department (ED) is a healthcare unit established within hospitals and other medical institutions to provide immediate medical care to patients requiring urgent treatment. Emergency departments operate through different units based on the patient's symptoms and the urgency of their medical condition.

As patient volumes increased in emergency departments beginning in the 1960s, services were organized into three triage categories. These categories are determined according to the patient's symptoms and urgency level:

Red Zone

This category is designated for patients requiring the highest priority emergency care. The Red Zone manages cases involving life-threatening injuries or severe illnesses. Patients assigned to this area require immediate medical attention.

Medical interventions for conditions such as heart attack symptoms, severe respiratory distress, penetrating injuries, and multiple trauma are carried out in the Red Zone. Patients brought to the emergency department by ambulance are also generally assessed within this category.

Yellow Zone

The Yellow Zone is intended for patients who have conditions that may result in permanent damage due to accidents, trauma, or other serious health issues if left untreated. Patients directed to this area may need to wait for a short period before receiving treatment.

Green Zone

The Green Zone serves patients with minor injuries and illnesses. The urgency level of these patients is lower compared to those in the Red and Yellow Zones. Therefore, especially in crowded hospitals, Green Zone patients may experience longer waiting times.

Following the triage process, which determines treatment priority in emergency departments, patients receive medical care in the appropriate unit.

What Conditions Are Treated in the Emergency Department?

As explained above, emergency departments provide care for a wide range of medical conditions, from minor illnesses to severe diseases and traumatic injuries. Emergency physicians evaluate and treat many health concerns, including respiratory difficulties, ear pain, bleeding, sore throat, and more.

The conditions treated are generally categorized according to triage classifications as follows:

Conditions Included in the Red Zone

• Shock
• Cardiac arrest (cardiopulmonary arrest)
• Coma
• Airway obstruction
• Respiratory distress
• Multiple trauma
• Anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction that may be life-threatening)
• Febrile convulsions (commonly seen in children aged 3–5 years)
• Severe pain conditions
• Poisoning
• Uncontrolled bleeding from various parts of the body
• Childbirth

Conditions Included in the Yellow Zone

• Abdominal pain
• Sore throat with difficulty swallowing
• Moderate burns
• Renal stones (kidney stones)
• Long bone fractures or hip fractures
• Lacerations without amputation
• Multiple or open fractures
• Severe headache without fever

Conditions Included in the Green Zone

• Sprains
• Chronic joint pain
• Chronic headaches
• Skin rashes
• Wound care
• Vaginal discharge
• Common cold symptoms
• Minor ear pain
• Minor isolated extremity injuries
• Insect bites that do not cause anaphylaxis
• Suture removal

Conditions Considered Emergencies According to International Criteria

• Terrorist incidents, sabotage, gunshot wounds, stabbing injuries, fights, etc.
• Sexual assault
• Suicide attempts
• Traffic accidents
• Severe burns
• Any condition causing loss of consciousness
• Uremic and diabetic coma (conditions ranging from confusion to complete loss of consciousness caused by kidney failure or diabetes)
• Meningitis, encephalitis, and brain abscess
• Sudden paralysis (stroke)
• Severe allergic reactions that may cause cardiac rhythm disturbances, airway obstruction, or significant drops in blood pressure
• Migraine and/or headaches accompanied by vomiting or loss of consciousness
• Frostbite and hypothermia
• Decompression sickness (commonly known as “the bends”)
• Falls from height
• Severe eye injuries
• Acute psychotic episodes causing extreme aggression
• Serious workplace accidents and limb amputations
• Lower extremity and spinal fractures, including leg fractures causing major internal or external bleeding and all spinal fractures
• Renal colic
• Life-threatening internal or external bleeding resulting from trauma (acute massive hemorrhage)
• Acute abdomen, including obstruction, perforation, inflammation, or twisting of hollow organs such as the stomach or intestines
• Electric shock
• Heart attack, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), and hypertensive crises (which may lead to brain hemorrhage)
• Asthma attacks and acute respiratory problems
• Drowning
• Heat stroke
• Poisoning
• Dialysis patients experiencing a deterioration in their overall condition
• Loss of consciousness in newborns
• High fever (usually 39.5°C/103.1°F or higher) caused by infections, heat stroke, poisoning, or other conditions that may lead to complications such as seizures or cardiac rhythm abnormalities
• Active labor with rupture of membranes ("water breaking")
• Severe deterioration of general health due to inadequate care, serious illness, malnutrition, advanced age, or similar causes reaching a critical level.