Know when to go

Don’t neglect emergency care

We are living in an unprecedented time. The coronavirus is dominating our thoughts and actions as the threat of contracting illness is ever present in our minds. We don masks and gloves in public, avoid physical contact with others, stay away from crowds, go to church online, and have made many lifestyle adjustments in an effort to stop the spread. Arkansas is a tight-knit state, and we care about our personal health and that of those around us.

After all, we’ve seen the news and we know that covid-19 is a killer. At my last count, 32 Arkansans have died from the virus — that’s roughly one death per 100,000 people. This is certainly a scary number and one that our health-care system is doing everything to prevent from rising. While fighting this pandemic is on everyone’s radar now, physicians worry about the long-term damaging effects many patients will face because they are not seeking treatment for other serious illnesses for fear of contracting the virus.

Some ER volumes are down roughly 40 percent in Arkansas. And while you should not go the emergency room unnecessarily, there are many cases in which it is not only the best option, but it could be the difference between life and death. What if I told you that the biggest killer in our midst wasn’t covid-19? It’s one that kills Arkansans at a higher rate than any other state in the union, according to the CDC, and while it’s treatable with modern medicine, it’s only effective if people seek care early in its course.

The killer I’m referencing is a heart attack, and it kills at a rate 80 times that of the coronavirus. While there is no definitive treatment for covid-19 right now, there is a treatment that can reverse the course of a heart attack and prevent disability and death. But, like strokes, it requires immediate attention to avoid consequences that could last a lifetime. And to receive this lifesaving treatment, people must put aside their fears and come to the hospital.

Iam an emergency medicine physician and have practiced in Arkansas for over 20 years. My colleagues and I are on the front lines of this pandemic and have seen firsthand the negative effects it has on patients and our state as a whole. And while I understand why people might be concerned about coming to a hospital, the public needs to know that we have never been more prepared.

We are taking every precaution to make our hospitals safe. We screen all health-care workers prior to entering our facilities; we limit visitors and segregate all patients suspected of having the virus; we wear masks and wash our hands incessantly. Our job is to keep you safe. But we can’t help you if we don’t know you’re having a problem.

We want people to be thoughtful of how they utilize the health-care system during this time, but it is imperative that people not neglect emergencies. An unwillingness to seek emergency care out of fear could have long-lasting public health consequences at a time when our health is of utmost importance.

I ask that the public use common sense and trust our health-care system to take care of you. We are here for you and are ready to treat you. The last thing we want is for someone to die from something preventable because they were scared to go to the hospital.