Prepare for an emergency room visit
In an emergency, call 911. This is for what comes after the first minutes.
One item at a time. Progress counts even when it is small.
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Overview
You cannot plan when the ER happens — you can plan what you would grab and what you would say. A prepared one-page summary changes ER care more than almost anything else.
What to expect
- Triage first — the sickest are seen first, not the earliest arrival
- Long waits between fast bursts of activity
- Repeating your story to several people
- A decision to admit, transfer, or send you home
Questions to ask
What are you most worried about right now?
This gets to the point faster than any other question.
What is the working diagnosis, and what would change it?
What symptoms should bring me straight back?
In plain language, what is happening and why is it recommended now?
Plain language is your right. Ask again if the answer is technical.
What are my options, including waiting or doing nothing?
How will this change what I can do day to day, and for how long?
What should I do to prepare?
Who do I call with questions, and what number do I use after hours?
What would make you want to see me sooner?
This turns vague worry into a clear trigger for calling.
Interactive checklists
Check items off as you go. Progress is saved on this device so you can continue later.
Private to this device. Included when you print, export, or save to your Health Binder.
For caregivers and family
What caregivers can expect
- Long stretches of waiting broken by fast decisions
- Many faces — ask who is leading care
- Discharge planning starting earlier than you expect
How caregivers can help
- Keep a running log of tests, medicines, and names
- Ask for a daily plan each morning
- Advocate for sleep, food, mobility, and pain control
Questions caregivers should ask
- Who is the attending clinician and how do I reach them?
- What has to happen before discharge is safe?
- What care will be needed at home, and can you teach me now?
Recovery and what happens next
Before admission
Paperwork, packing, and home coverage.
- · Confirm authorization
- · Pack a small bag
- · Arrange pets, children, and mail
During the stay
Track the plan each day.
- · Ask for the daily plan
- · Note who is leading your care
- · Ask what has to happen before going home
Discharge day
Leave with clarity, not a stack of paper.
- · Medication reconciliation
- · Written instructions read back aloud
- · Follow-up appointment scheduled
First week home
The riskiest week. Watch and rest.
- · Fill prescriptions
- · Attend or confirm follow-up
- · Track symptoms daily
Watch for: Fever, chills, or a wound that becomes red, warm, swollen, or leaks fluid; Pain that keeps getting worse instead of slowly better; New confusion, dizziness, or fainting; Nausea or vomiting that stops you from keeping fluids down
Risks and warning signs
Possible risks to ask about
- Every procedure and medicine carries some risk — ask for yours in numbers, not adjectives
- Reactions to medicines, contrast, or anesthesia
- Infection
- Delays or the need for a repeat visit
Warning signs — call your clinician
- · Fever, chills, or a wound that becomes red, warm, swollen, or leaks fluid
- · Pain that keeps getting worse instead of slowly better
- · New confusion, dizziness, or fainting
- · Nausea or vomiting that stops you from keeping fluids down
Red flags — seek emergency care
- · Chest pain, pressure, or pain radiating to the arm or jaw
- · Trouble breathing
- · Sudden weakness, facial droop, slurred speech — call 911 immediately
- · Heavy bleeding, a severe head injury, or a seizure
- · Fever with confusion, fast heart rate, or clammy skin — say the word “sepsis”
In an emergency, call 911. Do not wait for a call back.
Follow-up care
- Attend the follow-up within the window you were given
- Reconcile every medicine against the discharge list
- Ask for home health or therapy referrals to be confirmed
Frequently asked questions
Helpful resources
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Prepare Me is educational preparation support from Phoenix Health Compass. It does not diagnose, recommend treatment, or replace the guidance of your clinician. Checklists and notes stay on this device unless you save or share them yourself.