emergency room information utah

The Emergency Room & Trauma Center

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The Emergency Room & Trauma Center

This article discusses the basics of the emergency room and trauma center, focusing on the particular types of treatments one can receive there.

What is the Emergency Room?

Always call 911 if someone needs medical assistance immediately. 911 personnel will assist you on the phone and will be able to direct you to go to the emergency room or stay where you are based on the injuries or illness. If you or the injured person cannot get to the Emergency Room (ER), paramedics will take you in an ambulance. The ER is defined as “a hospital room or area staffed and equipped for the reception and treatment of persons requiring immediate medical care”. The immediate care that people need usually consists of acute (bad, difficult) illness or injury. The emergency room is open 24 hours a day because illness and injury that need immediate care can occur at any time of the day or night. Medical staff, including nurses and doctors, are ready to treat patients with immediate medical assistance. Nurses in the ER are trained to manage many of the injuries and illness; they are the ones to usually determine what kind of care the patient needs – surgery, medicine, etc. If someone goes to the ER, they will most likely see a medical nurse and an Emergency Medical Specialists or ER Doctors. If the patient needs emergency surgery, the ER doctor will more than likely refer them to a Trauma Surgeon, who usually is already in the ER.

What is a Trauma Center?

The Trauma Center (TC) is similar to the Emergency Room (ER), but the types of injuries the TC treats is different. The TC is usually located in the ER, so going to the ER is a must when immediate medical care is needed. The medical staff, including nurses and doctors, will refer the patient to the TC if they need specific care for a traumatizing injury or illness – the patient is usually referred to the TC if they need emergency surgery. The medical personnel in the TC are trained in many of the same areas as the ER; they are trained for specific traumatic injuries and illnesses as well.

What types of injuries does the Emergency Room treat?

There are several types of injuries that medical personnel in the ER treat. These include (but are not limited to):

  • Broken bones
  • Fainting
  • Poisoning
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Stomach and bowel pain
  • Breathing issues
  • Burns

The ER is the default place to go to when someone needs immediate medical attention. The Dixie Regional Medical Center has an excellent trauma center.

What types of injuries does the Trauma Center treat?

There are several types of injuries that medical personnel in the TC treat. These include (but are not limited to):

  • Deep cuts
  • Traumatic car-crash injuries
  • Gunshot/stab wounds
  • Major burns
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Blunt trauma

What types of treatment does the Emergency Room / Trauma Center provide?

The medical staff that sees the patient as soon as they arrive in the ER perform ‘triage’  (evaluating patients to determine who needs the most help urgently). This helps with efficiency in the ER and allows the patient to receive the best care for their injuries or illness. ER Doctors treat patients with medicine and immediate procedures, test for blood pressure, begin blood transfusions, order testing, etc. Both the ER Doctor and Trauma Surgeon have the same goal: to save lives and prevent long-lasting pain/damage to patients. The ER Doctor usually stabilizes the patient, while a Trauma Surgeon operates immediately when the ER Doctor determines the severity of the patient’s illness or injury is critical.

What if I can’t get to the ER myself?

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s), or paramedics, usually determine where the patient will be taken for care (most of the time it is the ER). However, the patient can choose which hospital they will be taken to if there is more than one closeby. EMT’s are trained to stabilize patients if needed. Some patients are unconscious when paramedics arrive, so they must decide where the patient must go for the quickest and best medical care.

emergency room mcmullin

The Emergency Room & Trauma Center

McMullin Injury Law

medical doctors information utah

Medical Doctor

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Medical Doctor

This article discusses the basics of the medical doctor profession, focusing on the particular types of treatments a medical doctor offers.

What is a medical doctor?

A medical doctor is someone who is a “professional doctorate”, or a doctor of medicine (MD). In order to become a doctor in the United States, one must graduate from an accredited Medical School and pass the United States Medical Licensing Exam, or USMLE. Once the graduate passes the USMLE, they undergo additional specialization called a residency. The graduate usually does their residency in a hospital under the direct or indirect supervision of a practicing physician. If the graduate successfully completes their residency, they can obtain an unrestricted license to practice medicine.

Doctor’s Office, Urgent Care, ER

Calling 911 is the first option for an emergency medical concern, but if you can manage or someone can take you, go to the Emergency Room for life-threatening, acute or extremely urgent situations. Emergency Room (ER) visits can be very expensive, but that is of little relevance if a health concern is an emergency. Urgent care (InstaCare for example) is a good option if the medical concern is urgent, but not an emergency like an ear infection, a sinus infection, the flu, etc.. When someone has a non-urgent health concern, visiting a doctor’s office is recommended.

ER Doctors

When someone visits the ER they are treated first by an ER doctor who helps stabilize them. If that patient needs further medical attention, they will refer the patient to a Trauma Surgeon.

Primary Care

Primary Care doctors usually have office hours similar to normal business hours, like 8-5. Primary care physicians and doctors perform many actions, including but not limited to:

  1. Check-ups;
  2. Diagnosis;
  3. Rehab;
  4. Direct treatment;
  5. Monitor and manage health conditions;
  6. Educate patients; or
  7. Refer patients to specialists.

Specialist

Primary care doctors help diagnose and treat general illness. If someone has a joint problem they suffer from a knee injury, a primary care doctor might refer that patient to an orthopedic doctor (bone doctor) or rheumatologist (musculoskeletal doctor) for further treatment.

Types of injuries/sickness they treat

The types of injuries/illness a primary care doctor treats can vary from the flu to a broken bone to an ear infection. ER doctors and Trauma Surgeons treat urgent and life-threatening injuries like head-related injuries or injuries with lots of blood loss. A specialist will have a specific practice that treats certain injuries. For example, there are foot and ankle doctors who specialize in the treatment, mobility, and health of the foot and ankle. If someone has an ankle issue and they go to a primary care doctor, that doctor may treat the pain, but more than likely refer them to a specialist for further treatment.

Types of treatment

Surgeons treat patients by manual manipulation of the body with the application of instruments. Primary care doctors focus on treating patients with medicine and educating them for further prevention of illness. Specialists will focus on treatment of a specific area; for example a foot and ankle specialist will focus on treatment through exercises of many kinds and massage therapy, to name a few.

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Medical Doctor

McMullin Injury Law

chiropractor information utah

Chiropractor

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Chiropractor

This article discusses the basics of the chiropractic profession, focusing on the particular types of treatments a chiropractor offers.

What is a chiropractor?

A chiropractor is a healthcare professional who specializes in diagnosing the spine, neck, and muscles, with the addition of treatment for such diagnosis. A chiropractor’s focus is to treat pain and discomfort in the spine and neck; which focus is primarily to balance of the spine and nervous system. All chiropractors must go to a Chiropractic School and graduate. Also, in many states, these graduates must pass a national test in order to begin their practice. A chiropractor uses their hands for manipulation of the spine and neck; manipulation of the spine can result in a ‘popping’ sound, which is a change of pressure and the release of gas in the joint.

What Injuries do they treat?

The injuries that a chiropractor treats can vary depending on the person. Some of the injuries that a chiropractor treats include but are not limited to:

  • Back/Neck pain
  • Headaches and Migraines
  • Injuries from Sports
  • Auto Accident Injuries

Most of the injuries that a chiropractor diagnoses and/or treats are related to the neck, spine, or muscles. They can diagnose or treat many other illnesses or pain.

What treatment do they use?

The treatment a chiropractor uses can vary depending on the chiropractor’s preference, or how they were trained in chiropractic school. There are some common techniques for treatment, including but not limited to:

  • Decompression of the Spine – this helps with herniated discs in the spine.
  • MiRX Nasal Spray – this is supposed to relieve headaches and migraines.
  • Spinal Adjustment – this helps realign the spine and help with pain
  • Massage Therapy – this helps blood flow in the muscles and range of motion

The treatment that chiropractors use on their patients is mostly natural.

Practicing

Typically, a chiropractor will open up their own clinic, or join one or a few other chiropractors in a clinic. Chiropractors have one common goal: to help their patients with pain and discomfort. The way they do that is through treatment mentioned above.

Coverage

Since chiropractors services are medical, insurance can cover visits, with a common co-pay. Subluxation is an illness where the discs in the spine become swollen or irritated and the joint becomes inflamed. Medicare covers the correcting of the spine due to subluxation. What is not covered by Medicare is massage therapy, acupuncture, or X-Rays.

Is it safe to visit a chiropractor?

No health treatment is free of negative effects on the body, but a chiropractor uses natural remedies to treat illness and pain, and are known as some of the safest and non-invasive therapy choices for musculoskeletal illness and pain. Migraines and headaches can be treated via neck manipulation by a chiropractor help increase mobility in the neck and is very safe.

Massage Therapy

There are several types of massages to treat injuries including but not limited to:

  • Sports – focuses on the treatment of sports-related muscle injuries.
  • Deep – focuses on a slower, more focused massage for deeper layers of muscle.
  • Swedish – focuses on relaxation and energy muscle therapy.
  • Trigger Point – focuses on a targeted area to help relieve pain and discomfort.

The massaging of the muscles for therapy is quite useful for the treatment of muscle pain. Some chiropractors use massage therapy for treatment. However, some chiropractors will refer patients to a massage specialist if their condition is confined to muscles only. Massage therapy focuses on the blood flow of the muscles, as well as the tightness and soreness of the muscles. Massage therapy can be very relaxing. It can be very beneficial for patients because the massage therapist is able to address any muscle tension directly. Pain relieving medicine temporarily relieves pain, while massage therapy focuses on addressing the pain directly and permanently.  

Children

Children can benefit from chiropractic care, and it is safe to do so. Many children are active and as a result, some children get injured. When an injury results in back/neck pain, or even muscle spasms or discomfort, a chiropractor would be beneficial. A chiropractor adapts their treatment to each individual patient.

Aftermath/Soreness

Because of the nature of the treatment from chiropractors, some soreness may be present after your appointment. The spine, neck, and muscles may not be used to this sort of treatment. This soreness usually means that the treatment is working, but when your body changes it needs to adjust.

chiropractor mcmullin

Chiropractor

McMullin Injury Law

Medical

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Medical

Here you will find articles full of helpful information about various medical topics as they relate to certain aspects of the law. Click on any of the links below.

chiropractor information utah

Chiropractors

medical doctors information utah

Medical Doctors

emergency room information utah

The Emergency Room & Trauma Center

neurologist information utah

Neurologists

orthopedic surgeons utah

Orthopedic Surgeons

pain management doctors utah

Pain Management Doctors

physical therapy mcmullin legal info

Physical Therapy

info on radiologists utah

Radiology

andrew spainhower McMullin Injury Law

Small Claims Court – St. George, Utah

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Small Claims Court – St. George, Utah

Local attorney briefly explains how the small claims court process works in Southern Utah. One thing of note is that, at the time of the video was shot, the maximum amount one could be awarded in small claims court in Utah was $10,000.00 (ten thousand). That amount has since been raised to $11,000 (eleven thousand).

The small claims court is set up to be simple. The point is to provide access to the law to people who have issues to deal with that are too small to justify hiring expensive lawyers and utilizing the standard litigation process required by the higher courts. Don’t take that to mean that hiring a lawyer for your small claims case will not be helpful. It certainly will be. For example, our firm has an undefeated record in the Washington County Small Claims Court. That is not because it is easy, or because the local courts are biased in our favor. Rules of civil procedure and discovery still apply. If a form is filled out wrong, or papers are not served correctly, your case could be dead from the start. It is also not because we only take slam-dunk cases to trial. It is simply because we are willing to put an enormous amount of time and effort into each and every one of our cases- no matter how small the case may appear to some. We know that even a relatively small case is a huge deal to the person who is directly affected by it. We want to represent you as strongly as you would represent yourself if you had all our years of law school and experience. If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys about your potential small claims matter, give us a call. No case is too big or too small. At McMullin Injury Law, we get it, and we can help.

Washington County Utah – Small Claims Court

For complete information on how to handle a small claims matter on your own, check out the great resources at https://www.utcourts.gov/howto/smallclaims/