Going to the emergency room is already a stressful event. You’re rushing to care for the patient, making sure they’re going to be okay. You’ve been administering first-aid treatments that will help control or lessen their pain, if possible.  

When an emergency occurs, the last thing on your mind are the necessary things you should pack on the way to the hospital. You might be thinking that all you need to bring with you is the patient and your credit cards to pay for the bill. While those may be helpful, they’re not the only things you need to bring along.  

Picking a hospital that can also handle emergency cases professionally is a must. In case of emergencies, you can visit a hospital’s website to check out the services they offer beforehand. 

If you’re heading to the ER, here’s a list of the important information you need to bring with you:  

Doctors’ Names And Contact Numbers 

Having a list of all your doctors’ and specialists’ names and contact numbers can come in handy. This will allow the ER’s attending physician to call them just in case they need to ask questions about your medical condition. This is especially important if the doctors and specialists attending to your medical needs reside in a hospital that’s different from where the ER is located.

Identification Card 

Along with your insurance card, you should also bring your ID card with you always. Make sure that your ID comes with an updated photo and details so the hospital can process your transaction faster. As an added security measure against insurance fraud, having your ID with you will also assure the hospital that you’re using your own insurance benefits and not someone else’s. 

In case of accidents, an ID card will also come in handy since the authorities and medical personnel will be able to identify you if you’re unconscious. Through your ID, they’ll be able to reach your emergency contacts and inform them of your current condition, and the situation that led to it.

Emergency Contacts 

When you come alone to the emergency room and your IDs don’t have any emergency contact details, keeping a list of emergency contact numbers would be helpful so the hospital can reach out to those who need to be aware of your situation. You can have a written list handy in your wallet, or you can set an emergency contact on your mobile phone, which can be accessed by people even if your device is locked. 

Having a list of emergency contacts is important so they can arrange whatever is necessary, and they may even be able to provide additional medical information that the hospital may need to know.

List Of Current Medicines 

If you’re under medication, you must provide a list of the current medicine you’re taking. Include the dosage and times you’re taking the specific medication. You should also note when started drinking these medicines.  

You don’t necessarily need to bring these medicines along since hospitals prefer to prescribe their own. But if you suspect that you’ll be staying the night, you can bring your own so you can save money, especially if your medicines are expensive.  

When you provide an accurate list of your current medication, you’ll also be able to help your attending physicians work out the best treatment plan that doesn’t conflict with your medicines, which can prevent possible complications. Having this information ready will allow you to recover better and faster.  

Description Of Your Diagnoses

If you currently have an illness, you should also provide a document discussing all your medical conditions, the status of each one, and how they’re being treated. Include past and present illnesses in your document, thereby allowing the attending physician to have a good idea of your medical history.  

When the attending physician is aware of this, it will help them identify the possible causes of your pain and how your body will react to any medication they will provide. It can also give them an insight to whether or not the illness that brought you to the ER has developed, or if it’s a side effect of your medication.  

List Of Allergies 

Inform your attending physician if you have any allergies, especially with medicines. This will allow you to have a safer procedure that won’t involve any medicines that can trigger your allergies.  

If you’re unlucky enough to have a ton of allergies, provide a list of all of your food and medication allergies, and how your body reacts to them. Letting the ER staff become aware of this information will reduce the risk of them prescribing medicine that will cause an allergic reaction. 

Legal Documents 

Since you can never anticipate emergencies, it’s best to always have important legal documents on hand in case you get rushed to the ER. Legal documentation pertaining to your health such as a living will, health care proxy, and Do Not Resuscitate order, if applicable, will allow the ER’s doctors to know just up to what extent they can administer treatment for your condition. This can be especially important if you’re about to undergo surgery or blood transfusions, or if you’re to receive life support. Legal documents will make it clear which medical services you’d like to receive and which ones you’d like to refuse.

Insurance Card 

When you’re insured, bring your card with you. This will allow you to save money on your hospital bills. Depending on your plan, your hospital bill could be waived and you won’t have to spend a single cent out of your pocket.  

If you don’t have insurance yet, it’s best that you pick a health insurance plan suitable for your needs, which will help you make the most out of your investment. 

Poison Or Other Toxins You’ve Ingested 

When you’ve been rushed to the emergency room because you’ve accidentally ingested a poison or other toxins, it’s a smart move to bring the item with you. This will help the ER staff further identify not only what you’ve ingested, but also the proper procedures for treatment.

If you can’t bring what you’ve ingested along with you, ask someone to bring it for further inspection.  

Aside from directly consuming poisons or toxins, also let the ER staff know if you’ve been bitten by an animal such as a snake, rat, spider, and the like. If possible, recount how it happened, and tell them where the animal came from so the nurses and attending physician can further evaluate the situation and come up with a suitable cure. 

Recent Lab Results 

If you’ve just taken a lab exam, bring all your lab results, whether it’s related to your current case or not. This will allow the ER staff to have a brief knowledge of your current health levels, enabling them to give you a clearer diagnosis and resolve your problem immediately with proper care. 

You should also bring your current blood pressure logs, if any. Also bring along any EKG, EEG, and ECG results that could aid in treating you better. Make sure that what you’re bringing is recent and not older than two months. Old results will only be considered irrelevant and unhelpful to the situation. 

Medical Devices 

If you’re using any medical device that helps with your condition, make it a point to bring it along. This will not only help the ER staff identify your condition better, but you might also need it if you’re going to stay in the emergency room for a longer period than anticipated. 

Conclusion 

Going to the emergency room can be a hassle, but it’s necessary if you want to receive immediate treatment for injuries or illnesses. Not too many people actively anticipate going to the ER, but it’s still good to be prepared just in case you need to make the trip or be rushed there. 

Information is important when it comes to your medical condition so be sure that you have these ready just in case. A list of the medicines you’re taking, allergies, emergency contact numbers, lab results, and diagnoses are some of the important information you need to have on hand. In addition, you should bring along identification and insurance cards, as well as legal documents (if applicable) that will let the doctors and nurses know the extent to which they can administer treatment. Providing the appropriate information, will allow the ER staff to speedily come up with a clear diagnosis, which can save you time and help you recover sooner. 

Along with providing your attending physician the necessary medical information, you should also bring a clean set of clothes, comfort items, and something to keep you busy while you wait for your turn or for the lab results to be released. 

To avoid making frequent trips to the emergency room, you should always try to keep yourself healthy by taking the proper medications, eating a balanced diet, and exercising regularly. Also exercise caution so you avoid getting into accidents that might put your life at risk.