---
title: Emergency Department Care Terminology
description: Learn common Emergency Department terms related to triage, treatments, procedures, monitoring, and discharge.
---
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# Emergency Department Care Terminology
## A glossary of common terms used to describe Emergency Department assessment, treatments, procedures, and next steps.
Emergency Department care may include rapid assessment, diagnostic testing, medication, procedures, monitoring, and follow-up planning. The treatment a person receives depends on their symptoms, condition, medical history, and level of urgency.
### Assessment and prioritization
- **Emergency Department (ED):** A hospital department that provides immediate assessment and treatment for sudden illness, injury, or a serious change in a person’s condition.
- **Emergency room (ER):** A common term for the Emergency Department.
- **Triage:** The clinical process of assessing patients and prioritizing care according to urgency. Patients with the most serious or time-sensitive conditions may be seen before people who arrived earlier.
- **Acuity:** The severity of a person’s condition and how quickly they need assessment or treatment.
- **Initial assessment:** The first clinical evaluation after arrival. It may include a brief history, vital signs, a review of the main concern, and identification of immediate treatment needs.
- **Rapid assessment and treatment:** A process that combines early assessment with the prompt start of diagnostic tests and treatment, often involving a senior decision-making clinician.
- **Resuscitation:** Immediate treatment to support or restore essential functions such as breathing and circulation.
- **Reassessment:** A repeat evaluation to check whether symptoms, vital signs, or the response to treatment have changed.
### Monitoring and diagnostic tests
- **Vital signs:** Measurements such as temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation.
- **Patient monitoring:** Ongoing observation of a person’s condition, which may include heart rhythm, blood pressure, breathing, and oxygen levels.
- **Pulse oximetry:** A noninvasive test that estimates the oxygen level in the blood using a sensor placed on a finger, toe, or earlobe.
- **Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG):** A test that records the heart’s electrical activity and can help identify certain heart rhythm or circulation problems.
- **Blood test:** Laboratory testing of a blood sample to evaluate factors such as infection, inflammation, blood counts, electrolytes, or organ function.
- **Urinalysis:** Testing a urine sample for signs of infection, blood, dehydration, kidney problems, or other conditions.
- **X-ray:** An imaging test that uses a small amount of radiation to create pictures of bones and certain organs or tissues.
- **Computed tomography (CT) scan:** An imaging test that uses X-rays and computer processing to create detailed cross-sectional images of the body.
- **Ultrasound:** An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of internal organs, blood vessels, or developing tissue.
- **Contrast material:** A substance used during some imaging tests to make certain organs, blood vessels, or tissues easier to see.
- **Consultation:** Evaluation or treatment recommendations from a specialist or another clinical service.
### Medicines and supportive treatments
- **Analgesic:** A medication used to relieve pain.
- **Antiemetic:** A medication used to prevent or reduce nausea and vomiting.
- **Antibiotic therapy:** Treatment with medication used to treat certain bacterial infections. Antibiotics do not treat viral infections.
- **Anti-inflammatory medication:** Medication used to reduce inflammation and related pain or swelling.
- **Intravenous (IV) access:** A small, flexible tube placed in a vein so healthcare professionals can give fluids, medication, or blood products.
- **IV fluids:** Fluids given through a vein to support hydration, circulation, or replacement of fluid losses.
- **Oxygen therapy:** Supplemental oxygen provided through a nasal cannula, face mask, or another breathing device.
- **Nebulizer treatment:** A treatment that turns liquid medication into a mist that can be inhaled into the lungs.
- **Blood transfusion:** The administration of blood or a blood component through an IV to replace blood loss or treat a blood-related condition.
- **Anticoagulant:** A medication that reduces the blood’s ability to form clots. The treatment may be used to prevent or treat certain blood clots.
### Procedures and emergency treatments
- **Local anesthetic:** Medication applied or injected to numb a specific area and reduce pain during a procedure.
- **Sedation:** Medication used to reduce anxiety, discomfort, or awareness during a procedure. The level of sedation and required monitoring depend on the medication and procedure.
- **Wound irrigation:** Rinsing a wound with a fluid to remove dirt, debris, or other contaminants.
- **Laceration repair:** Closing a cut or tear in the skin with stitches, staples, adhesive strips, or medical adhesive.
- **Sutures:** Stitches used to close a wound or incision and support healing.
- **Incision and drainage:** A procedure in which a clinician opens and drains a collection of pus, such as an abscess.
- **Splint:** A support used to protect an injured body part and limit movement. A splint may allow room for swelling.
- **Cast:** A rigid support used to hold an injured bone or joint in place while it heals.
- **Reduction:** A procedure to move a dislocated joint or a broken bone back toward its normal alignment.
- **Catheterization:** Inserting a flexible tube into the body to drain fluid, deliver treatment, or monitor a condition. A urinary catheter drains urine from the bladder.
- **Intubation:** Placing a breathing tube into the trachea to help keep the airway open and support breathing.
- **Mechanical ventilation:** Use of a machine to assist or control breathing when a person cannot breathe adequately on their own.
- **Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR):** Emergency chest compressions, with rescue breaths when appropriate, to help maintain circulation and breathing during cardiac arrest.
- **Defibrillation:** Delivery of an electrical shock to treat certain life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms.
- **Cardioversion:** Use of a synchronized electrical shock or medication to help restore a regular heart rhythm.
### Next steps after treatment
- **Observation:** Continued monitoring and treatment for a limited period to determine whether a person improves, needs more care, or can safely leave.
- **Discharge:** Leaving the Emergency Department after evaluation or treatment, usually with instructions, medication guidance, follow-up recommendations, and return precautions.
- **Discharge instructions:** Written or verbal information about home care, medications, activity, follow-up appointments, and symptoms that require additional medical attention.
- **Return precautions:** Specific warning signs that mean a person should contact a healthcare professional or return for urgent care.
- **Admission:** The decision to keep a person in the hospital for continued treatment, monitoring, or evaluation.
- **Transfer:** Moving a person to another hospital, facility, or specialized unit for services that are not available in the current location.
- **Referral:** A recommendation or arrangement for evaluation or treatment by another healthcare professional or service.
- **Follow-up:** Additional evaluation or care after the Emergency Department visit, such as an appointment with a primary care professional or specialist.
### Sources
- [Glossary for Emergency Medicine — Terveyskylä Emergency Hub](https://www.terveyskyla.fi/en/emergencyhub/information-about-emergency-and-paramedical-care/glossary-for-emergency-medicine)
- [Guidance for Emergency Departments: Initial Assessment — NHS England](https://www.england.nhs.uk/guidance-for-emergency-departments-initial-assessment/)
- [Emergency Department Triage — NCBI Bookshelf](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557583/)
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