List of medical emergencies

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)
 * Ballistic trauma (gunshot wound)
 * 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
 * Spinal disc herniation

Infections

 * Lyme disease infection
 * Malaria infection
 * Rabies infection
 * Salmonella poisoning

Cardiac and circulatory

 * Aortic aneurysm (ruptured)
 * Aortic dissection
 * Bleeding
 * Hemorrhage
 * Hypovolemia
 * Internal bleeding
 * Cardiac arrest
 * Cardiac arrhythmia
 * Cardiac tamponade
 * Hypertensive emergency
 * Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
 * 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 Neurosurgical

 * Attempted suicide, non-fatal
 * Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
 * Subarachnoid hemorrhage
 * Subdural hematoma, acute
 * Convulsion or seizure
 * Meningitis
 * Syncope (fainting)
 * Acute spinal cord compression

Psychiatric

 * Psychotic episode
 * Suicidal ideation

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 or Cardiac tamponade)
 * Septic shock

Obstetrics

 * Ectopic pregnancy
 * Eclampsia
 * Pre-eclampsia
 * HELLP syndrome
 * Fetal distress
 * Obstetrical hemorrhage
 * Placental abruption
 * Prolapsed cord
 * Puerperal sepsis
 * Shoulder dystocia
 * Uterine rupture

Urological, andrological, and gynecologic

 * Ovarian torsion
 * Gynecologic hemorrhage
 * Paraphimosis
 * Priapism
 * Sexual assault (rape)
 * Testicular torsion
 * Urinary retention