outline of emergency medicine outline of emergency medicine the following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to emergency medicine: emergency medicine – medical specialty involving care for undifferentiated, unscheduled patients with acute illnesses or injuries that require immediate medical attention. while not usually providing long-term or continuing care, emergency physicians undertake acute investigations and interventions to resuscitate and stabilize patients. emergency physicians generally practice in hospital emergency departments, pre-hospital settings via emergency medical services, and intensive care units. presentations abdominal pain altered level of consciousness back pain chest pain coma confusion constipation cyanosis diarrhea dizziness dyspnea fever gastrointestinal bleeding headache hemoptysis jaundice nausea and vomiting pelvic pain seizure sore throat syncope testicular pain vaginal bleeding vertigo weakness types of emergencies listed below are conditions that constitute a possible medical emergency and may require immediate first aid, emergency room care, surgery, or care by a physician or nurse. not all medical emergencies are life-threatening; some conditions require medical attention in order to prevent significant and long-lasting effects on physical or mental health. blood anemia polycythemia acute promyelocytic leukemia disseminated intravascular coagulation children croup limp endocrine acid base disorder diabetes mellitus rhabdomyolysis thyroid storm adrenal crisis addisonian crisis dehydration diabetic coma diabetic ketoacidosis hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state hypoglycemic coma electrolyte disturbance hepatic encephalopathy hypercalcemic crisis lactic acidosis malnutrition and starvation pheochromocytoma environmental accidental hypothermia drowning electric shock and lightning injuries frostbite heat illness radiation injuries scuba diving hazards and dysbarism eyes acute angle-closure glaucoma giant-cell arteritis orbital perforation or penetration retinal detachment gastrointestinal appendicitis biliary colic cholecystitis gastroenteritis small bowel obstruction crohn's disease peritonitis genitourinary acute prostatitis paraphimosis priapism testicular torsion urinary retention kidney failure sexually transmitted infection heart and blood vessels acute coronary syndrome air embolism (arterial) aortic aneurysm (ruptured) abdominal aortic aneurysm aortic dissection bleeding internal bleeding hypovolemia cardiac arrest cardiac arrhythmia ventricular fibrillation supraventricular tachycardia cardiac tamponade deep vein thrombosis heart block heart failure hypertensive emergency infectious endocarditis myocardial infarction (heart attack) myocarditis pericarditis peripheral vascular disease pulmonary embolism valvular heart disease infectious disease hiv/aids cellulitis necrotizing fasciitis osteomyelitis rabies sepsis overwhelming post-splenectomy infection septic arthritis tuberculosis meningitis cholera ear infection gas gangrene lyme disease malaria neutropenic sepsis salmonella poisoning inflammatory allergy anaphylaxis arthritis bursitis systemic lupus erythematosus vasculitis injury abdominal trauma nose bleed appendicitis ballistic trauma (gunshot wound) bite blunt trauma bone fracture burns chest trauma child abuse domestic abuse facial trauma flail chest foreign body fulminant colitis head injury hyperthermia (including heat stroke or sunstroke) malignant hyperthermia hypothermia or frostbite intestinal obstruction pancreatitis peritonitis polytrauma ruptured spleen sexual assault spinal disc herniation spinal injury sensorineural hearing loss traumatic brain injury wound lungs and airway agonal breathing asphyxia angioedema choking drowning smoke inhalation asthma chronic obstructive pulmonary disease epiglottitis pleurisy pneumonia pneumothorax pulmonary embolism respiratory failure upper respiratory infection nephrology acute kidney injury nervous system spinal-cord injury cerebrovascular accident (stroke) delirium neuroleptic malignant syndrome seizures status epilepticus epilepsy serotonin syndrome status migrainosus subarachnoid hemorrhage subdural hematoma pregnancy ectopic pregnancy eclampsia pre-eclampsia hellp syndrome fetal distress obstetrical bleeding placental abruption prolapsed cord puerperal sepsis shoulder dystocia uterine rupture psychiatric anxiety attempted suicide excited delirium homicidal ideation mood disorder psychomotor agitation psychotic episode somatoform disorder suicidal ideation thought disorder skin acute urticaria angioedema erythema multiforme major kasabach–merritt syndrome toxic epidermal necrolysis toxicological further information: toxicology overdose acetaminophen overdose aspirin overdose and other nsaids poisoning beta blocker toxicity calcium channel blocker toxicity ethylene glycol poisoning food poisoning gynecologic gynecologic hemorrhage ovarian torsion sexual assault (rape) emergency medical care first aid golden hour triage critical care acute care of at-risk newborns (acorn) airway management care of the critically ill surgical patient (ccrisp) mechanical ventilation shock resuscitation cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cpr) neonatal resuscitation program (nrp) advanced cardiac life support (acls) pediatric advanced life support (pals) advanced trauma life support(atls) life support basic life support (bls) advanced life support advanced cardiac life support (acls) advanced trauma life support (atls) abc (medicine) pneumothorax pericardial tamponade pediatric advanced life support (pals) environmental medicine environmental medicine high altitude medicine travel medicine mass-gathering medicine branches of emergency medicine emergency medical services emergency nursing emergency psychiatry international emergency medicine pediatric emergency medicine pre-hospital emergency medicine social emergency medicine contributory fields emergency medicine is multidisciplinary – due to the diversity of medical emergencies encountered, emergency medicine relies heavily upon the knowledge and procedures of many medical specialties, including: critical care medicine disaster medicine hospice care hyperbaric medicine pain management palliative care sports medicine ultrasound wilderness medicine emergency medical system emergency telephone number emergency medical services emergency medical services ambulance emergency medical dispatch medical priority dispatch system (us) computer-aided call handling (us) advanced medical priority dispatch system (uk) emergency medical technician paramedic emergency medical facilities emergency department poison control center trauma center emergency medical professionals emergency physician emergency nurse emergency medical technician paramedic tools and equipment emergency medical equipment bag valve mask (bvm) chest tube defibrillation (aed icd) electrocardiogram (ecg/ekg) intraosseous infusion (io) intravenous therapy (iv) tracheal intubation laryngeal tube combitube nasopharyngeal airway (npa) oropharyngeal airway (opa) pocket mask drugs atropine amiodarone dopamine epinephrine / adrenaline magnesium sulfate hydralazine history history of the ambulance history of emergency medical services journals critical care medicine intensive care medicine military medicine shock trauma academic emergency medicine american journal of emergency medicine annals of emergency medicine annals of intensive care critical care clinics emergency medicine australasia emergency medicine journal indian journal of critical care medicine injury prevention journal of critical care journal of emergencies, trauma, and shock journal of emergency nursing journal of injury and violence research journal of intensive care medicine pediatric critical care medicine prehospital emergency care the journal of emergency medicine organizations american board of emergency medicine american college of emergency physicians american osteopathic board of emergency medicine asian society for emergency medicine australasian college for emergency medicine british association for immediate care canadian association of emergency physicians emergency nurses association european resuscitation council european society of emergency medicine international federation for emergency medicine international liaison committee on resuscitation resuscitation council royal college of emergency medicine