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Emergency Medicine & First Aid vocabulary · Emergency Calls

Emergency

Meaning in emergency medicine & first aid, with examples

/ɪˈmɜːrdʒənsi/nounCore term

In emergency medicine & first aid, emergency means: A sudden, serious situation, such as an accident, a fire or a sudden illness, that needs help or action immediately.

In Turkish: acil durum, acil

How it is used

Very common in fixed phrases: a medical emergency, in an emergency, the emergency services, the emergency number. Before another noun it means 'for emergencies': emergency care, emergency medicine, emergency exit. Hospital staff often shorten the emergency department to 'Emergency'.

Example sentences

  1. This is a medical emergency. We need an ambulance at the train station now.

  2. In an emergency, dial 112 from any phone.

Common collocations

  • medical emergency
  • in an emergency
  • emergency services
  • emergency number
  • life-threatening emergency
  • emergency callA phone call to an emergency number, such as 112, 911 or 999, to ask for an ambulance, the police or the fire service.
  • emergency departmentThe hospital department that treats people who arrive with a sudden illness or injury, without an appointment, 24 hours a day.
  • urgentNeeding attention soon; in triage and ambulance systems, a level of priority that is serious but usually below an immediate threat to life.
  • life-threateningSo serious that it could cause death if it is not treated quickly, such as a blocked airway, heavy bleeding or cardiac arrest.

More terms: Emergency Calls

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.