Almost all of us like to deal with injuries without visiting a doctor, but that is not a safe approach and can cause you unnecessary harm. It is always a better idea to be prepared to identify injuries and illnesses that can become life-threatening. That way, you know when to seek emergency care. Any health problem that needs immediate medical attention is a medical emergency, and medical emergencies can occasionally occur as a result of pre-existing diseases such as diabetes, asthma, or epilepsy. 

However, medical emergencies resulting from physical trauma can be more frightening and unpleasant. It's critical to recognize the signs because you may need to be able to correctly diagnose these symptoms to save your own life or the life of a loved one. In 2019, 4.4 million fatalities worldwide were linked to physical trauma, underlining the need of knowing when to seek medical attention. Let us now take a look at the emergency treatment available through eICU that can provide you assistance in an instance.  

What is an eICU?

The words tele ICU and eICU refer to the same platform that uses technology to provide patient remote emergency treatment. An eICU allows a critical care physician who is at a different location to remotely monitor patients in an ICU. Through the use of specialized software platforms, high-resolution cameras, and microphones, the physician has complete access to all patient care-related data. By checking the vital signs, lab test results, and treatment information online, the remote physician can provide the patient the treatment they need. 

The personnel at the ICU can promptly execute the physician’s orders and the physician can communicate with the personnel in real-time through eICU technology. Many patients, no matter where they are situated, can receive treatment from a single physician thanks to the eICU remote monitoring system. A 24/7 help line is available in eICUs and the eICU is equipped with gadgets to facilitate teleconsultations with many experts.  

How do eICUs Work?

Every eICU has gadgets and software access that help remote physicians check on the patient in real-time. Take a look at the most common gadgets available at all eICUs that let the eICU help patients efficiently.  

Camera and Microphone: Each ICU bed has a high-resolution camera and microphone/speaker system installed. These are connected with high-speed internet, allowing the remote doctor to clearly view the patient's physical state. This system facilitates two-way communication on patient care between the on-site team and the remote physician. The remote doctor can also inspect IV fluids, machine settings, and other information thanks to these audio/visual connections. 

Access to Clinical Data: The remote doctor needs complete access to all pertinent clinical data on the patient, in addition to the automatically updated data from the bedside monitors. These contain prescription information, x-ray pictures, lab findings, and progress notes, so integration with the hospital's software system is a feature of eICUs.

Real-Time notifications: When the patient's condition changes, the system is configured to send real-time notifications to the remote doctor. Usually, the notifications may be tailored to a patient's unique requirements.

Common Symptoms of Life-threatening Illnesses that Require Emergency Treatment  

The symptoms mentioned below indicated life-threatening illnesses, and you should seek emergency eICU or ICU care if you experience these symptoms. 

• Abrupt Loss of Consciousness 

If someone loses consciousness abruptly, they should be taken to the emergency department and checked by a doctor because abrupt unconsciousness often results from serious issues. The problematic thing about fainting is that it usually doesn't need medical intervention as people gain consciousness in a few minutes, however, the condition may be linked to other underlying issues, and if a major underlying disease or condition prevents oxygen from reaching the brain, the damage can be severe.  

• Chest Pain

Chest pain can be truly frightening because we all know chest pain may be an indication of a heart attack. However, acid reflux and joint inflammation are also among the reasons for chest pain. It's always preferable to visit the emergency department if your chest pain is far too severe or chronic because that may be an indication of other heart issues. In case of a heart attack, urgent care is necessary to save the patient and prevent permanent damage.  

• Severe Heart Palpitations

When you get palpitations, it feels as though your heart is pounding too quickly or irregularly, and it may seem as though it is genuinely pounding out of your chest. It is imperative that you visit the emergency department if these palpitations do not stop because they could indicate a more serious cardiac condition. 

• Issues with Vision

Having vision loss may indicate something significantly dangerous if you suddenly start to lose your eyesight completely or if you start to see double or get blurry vision. In particular, visual problems frequently follow a stroke or severe injuries in the head, and if you have visual issues, always visit the emergency room rather than waiting for an eye doctor. 

• Trouble Breathing

Breathing problems might indicate a number of different conditions, and some of those might require critical care without delay. It can sometimes indicate that you're having an allergy attack, or it can be accompanied by chest discomfort, which would indicate a heart attack, and breathing difficulties might also occasionally arise during an anxiety episode. Visit the emergency room (ER) or an eICU facility as soon as possible if you suddenly feel this issue and it lasts for hours. 

• Seizure

An ER visit is necessary if you have experienced any form of unexplained seizure and have not received an epilepsy diagnosis because it might indicate a neurological disorder or even a stroke. Seizures can have a variety of forms and origins, so if you experience one, get emergency care straight away because if left untreated, a seizure can lead you to fall and receive severe injuries as a result.

Final Remarks

Knowing how to identify life-threatening injuries and illnesses by observing the symptoms can save lives, and in these cases, an emergency care visit without wasting time is the best policy to prevent permanent harm. The critical care experts in an eICU may assist in assessing the gravity of the circumstance and the next course of action after examining the patient and ordering the necessary tests.