Life Science Encyclopedia

The following is a list of symptoms and conditions that signal or constitute a possible medical emergency and may require immediate first aid, emergency room care, surgery, or care by a physician or nurse. Please note that not all medical emergencies listed below are life-threatening; some conditions require medical attention in order to prevent significant and long-lasting effects on physical or mental health.

Injury and illness

• Abdominal pain, severe
• Appendicitis (leading to peritonitis)
• Bone fracture, compound
• Chest pain, acute
• Cholecystitis
• Drug overdose or withdrawal
• Ear injury
• Electric shock
• Gangrene
• Head trauma
• Hyperthermia (heat stroke or sunstroke)
  • Malignant hyperthermia
• Hypothermia or frostbite
• Intestinal obstruction
• Pancreatitis
• Peritonitis
• Poisoning
  • Food poisoning
  • Venomous animal bite
• Ruptured spleen
• Septic arthritis
• Septicaemia blood infection
• Severe burn (including scalding and chemical burns)
• Spreading wound infection
• Suspected spinal injury
• Traumatic brain injury

Infections

• Lyme disease infection
• Malaria infection
• Rabies infection
• Salmonella poisoning

Cardiac and circulatory

• Air embolism
• Aortic aneurysm (ruptured)
• Aortic dissection
• Bleeding
  • Hemorrhage
  • Hypovolemia
  • Internal bleeding
• Cardiac arrest
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Cardiac tamponade
• Hypertensive emergency
• Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Subdural hematoma, acute
• Ventricular fibrillation

Metabolic

• Acute renal failure
• Addisonian crisis (seen in those with Addison's disease)
• Dehydration, advanced
• Diabetic coma
  • Diabetic ketoacidosis
  • Hypoglycemic coma
• Electrolyte disturbance, severe (along with dehydration, possible with severe diarrhea or vomiting, chronic laxative abuse, and severe burns)
• Hepatic encephalopathy
• Lactic acidosis
• Malnutrition and starvation (as in extreme anorexia and bulimia)
• Thyroid storm

Neurological and psychiatric

• Attempted suicide, non-fatal
• Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
• Convulsion or seizure
• Meningitis
• Psychotic episode
• Suicidal ideation
• Syncope (fainting)

Ophthalmological

• Acute angle-closure glaucoma
• Orbital perforation or penetration
• Retinal detachment

Respiratory

• Agonal breathing
• Asphyxia
  • Angioedema
  • Choking
  • Drowning
  • Smoke inhalation
• Asthma, acute
• Epiglottitis or severe croup
• Pneumothorax
• Pulmonary embolism
• Respiratory failure

Shock

• Anaphylaxis
• Cardiogenic shock
• Hypovolemic shock (due to hemorrhage)
• Neurogenic shock
• Obstructive shock (e.g., massive pulmonary embolism)
• Septic shock

Urological, andrological, gynecologic, and obstetric

• Eclampsia
  • Pre-eclampsia
  • HELLP syndrome
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Gynecologic hemorrhage
• Obstetrical hemorrhage
• Paraphimosis
• Priapism
• Sexual assault (rape)
• Testicular torsion
• Urinary retention