Emergency medicine facts for kids

Treating an emergency patient at home could look like this image (which was made for illustration only)

Emergency medicine is a special area of medicine. It focuses on helping people who have sudden, serious illnesses or injuries. These urgent health problems are called emergencies. If someone with an emergency doesn't get help fast, they could become much sicker or even die.

Doctors who work in emergency medicine are often called EM doctors. They are experts at quickly figuring out what's wrong and giving immediate care. This medical field is sometimes also known as Accident and Emergency Medicine (AEM).

What is Emergency Medicine?

Emergency medicine is a specialty. A specialty means a doctor has extra training and knowledge in one specific area of medicine. For example, Pediatrics is for doctors who care for children. Cardiology is for doctors who specialize in the heart. EM doctors are trained to handle all sorts of urgent health problems.

Where Do EM Doctors Work?

Most EM doctors work in Emergency Departments (EDs). These are also known as casualty departments. You can find them in hospitals. People go to the ED when they have a sudden, serious health problem. Many EDs have a red cross or red letters on their sign. This helps people know where to go, even if they can't read.

What Do EM Doctors Do?

EM doctors need to know a little bit about almost every part of medicine. They treat people of all ages, from babies to elderly adults. They help both men and women. Their main job is to treat any kind of emergency. This means they must be ready for anything.

While they are experts in urgent care, they might not focus as much on long-term health problems. However, many people visit the Emergency Department for issues that are not true emergencies. So, EM doctors also learn how to help with less urgent health concerns.

Related Pages

• Emergency medical services
• First aid

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