15 Injuries that Require Emergency Care

15 Injuries that Require Emergency Care
Injuries, whether minor or major, are painful and cause discomfort. However, the fatality of an injury depends on how sensitive the injured organ is. Emergency rooms are equipped to handle injuries when they occur. While some injuries such as minor bruises or small cuts can be treated at home, other injuries require emergency care. Below is a variety of injuries, to the head, chest, limbs or skin that Bellaire ER has identified as emergencies.
Head Injuries
Injuries to the head are considered severe because the functionality of the brain should always be maintained. Some of the head injuries you should look out for are:
Concussion
A concussion occurs when your brain bounces against the hard sides of your skull and is usually caused by blunt-force trauma. Concussions lead to the loss of functionality, but severe and continuous concussions can cause permanent damage.
Hematoma
This is the occurrence of a clot outside the blood vessels in the brain leading to pressure build-up in the skull. Apart from causing loss of consciousness, a hematoma can also cause permanent head damage.
Hemorrhage
This is uncontrolled bleeding in the space around your brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage) or your brain tissue (intracerebral hemorrhage).
Edema
This is swelling of the brain that occurs due to brain injury.
Skull Fracture
Despite being incredibly difficult to break, fractures to the skull occur. Unfortunately, the skull cannot absorb any impacts form a blow, and immediate treatment is required in case of a fracture.
Bone Fractures
Bone fractures are a common injury. Whether it’s a broken finger or a more severe fracture such as a femur, all bones breakages need immediate medical attention. Not only are fractured uncomfortable, but they are also painful, and could lead to severe malformations if they do not heal in the correct position. Seeking emergency medical care will ensure that appropriate scans are taken, and that plaster is placed on the limb for proper healing to take place.
Bone injuries could also result in internal bleeding which should be treated immediately, to avoid further damage to tissue.
Lacerations
A laceration is a deep cut on the skin that causes severe and uncontrolled bleeding. These cuts are usually caused by sharp objects, and require emergency treatment to control the bleeding. Professional stitching is also required to prevent scars, and clean the injury to prevent infection.
Internal Injuries
These are injuries that could occur due to motor vehicle accidents. Internal injuries cause damage to internal organs and cause internal bleeding. Unfortunately, internal injuries are not visible to the naked eye, and only manifest themselves through symptoms.
Sometimes, the skin may turn into a darker color, or patients may lose consciousness. In other cases, the patient may vomit blood. If signs like these occur, visit the nearest ER. If you are involved in an accident, do not hesitate to go to the ER. You may have minor injuries on the outside, but severe ones on the inside.
Severe Burns
Burns are painful and are a major cause of death and deformation if not appropriately treated. There are different types of burns.
First degree burns- mild burns that cause pain reddening of the epidermis
Second-degree burns- affect the epidermis and the dermis, and cause reddening, pain, swelling and blistering.
Third Degree Burns- These burns go through the dermis and affect more tissue. They cause severe pain, and skin whitening, blackening or charring.
Common causes of burns are:
Friction burns- Occur when a hard object rubs against your skin. E.g., a carpet
Cold Burns- commonly known as frostbite
Thermal Burns- Occur when your skin is in contact with very hot liquids or surfaces. Steam is also a major cause of thermal burns
Radiation Burns- These are burns that are caused by exposure to radiation, e.g., sunburn
Chemical Burns- Strong chemicals such as acids or detergents can cause chemical burns.
Electrical burns- occur when your skin is in contact with electrical current.

Eye Injuries
Eye injuries can occur in five of the following ways and require immediate medical assistance.
Eyes Scratches- Dust in the eye and rubbing can cause irritation and reddening of the eye
Foreign objects such as splinters or glass in the eye
Chemical burns due to detergents or cleaning liquids getting into the eye
Impact injuries from a baseball, or hockey stick

Tendon/ Ligament Injuries
A torn ligament could cause the dislocation of a bone, and also cause severe pain.
Neck Injuries
A neck injury can lead to pain, swelling, and in the case of a broken neck, death. The neck houses the trachea and should, therefore, receive treatment for breathing to continue
Gunshot Wounds
A gunshot to the flesh or an organ causes severe bleeding, and sometimes permanent damage. Emergency treatment is required for the location of the bullet to be determined, and for proper removal to prevent further damage to surrounding tissue. Removal of the bleeding should also stop internal bleeding.
Knee Injuries
Injury to the knee that may cause pain, swelling, and permanent injury if left untreated.
Nasal vascular Injuries
These are injuries to the nose, e.g., broken nose.
Conclusion
Bellaire ER is equipped to handle all the injuries as mentioned above. We pride ourselves in providing quality treatment and saving lives. For more information on Bellaire ER, kindly visit our website, or our facility today.