HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED... when you should go to A&E?

It’s not always easy to tell if something is serious enough to go to A&E or whether you should try to treat a condition yourself at home. So I’ve compiled these two lists of when something is serious enough to go straight to A&E or, even so serious that you should call an ambulance. It does require you using your judgement.

Go to A&E with broken bones, dislocated joints, deep cuts requiring stitches, large wounds, bleeding that won’t stop, serious burns or injuries to the head and neck.

Then there’s sudden, severe, unexplained pain in the abdomen or back; fainting or loss of balance; sudden testicular pain; intestinal bleeding which may include symptoms such as blood in the stool or vomit; repeated vomiting or diarrhoea; poisoning or drug/alcohol overdose.

On the other hand – call an ambulance if you or someone else is experiencing choking; not breathing; has a head injury with passing out or confusion; injury to the neck or spine; electric shock; lightning strike or seizure that lasts more than three minutes.

If you believe someone is having a stroke, keep an eye on them while waiting for the ambulance. With heart attacks, the approach is similar. If you believe you or someone else is having a heart attack, call an ambulance. Symptoms include pain or pressure in the chest that may spread to the neck, jaw or back; heart palpitations, which is the feeling of a rapid, fluttering or pounding heart; serious nausea, indigestion or heartburn; trouble breathing; cold sweat; fatigue; and dizziness or light-headedness.