Any serious injury, symptom, or condition that poses an immediate risk to someone's life or body qualifies as a medical emergency.
If a person is experiencing an altered mental state, has trouble breathing, has uncontrollable bleeding, or has experienced trauma, get them to an emergency care facility as soon as possible.
Medical emergencies need to be addressed by a trained medical professional right away. If you or someone else are experiencing an emergency, call 911 immediately.
Dignity Health locations have the tools and expert medical personnel on hand to quickly and effectively address medical emergencies.
Visit an ER or urgent care center near you
Life-threatening medical conditions can be acute attacks of chronic conditions, or isolated events.
Some examples of emergency situations include:
It is essential for people experiencing these conditions or symptoms to receive timely medical care to prevent further complications.
A broken ankle is an injury to the bones that make up your ankle, including the talus (ankle bone) and the ends of the tibia (shin bone) and fibula (calf bone).
The symptoms and degree of damage or disability you experience will depend on how many bones are involved and the severity of your ankle fracture.
Signs of a broken ankle can include:
You may also notice changes in your gait, such as walking differently, limping, and feeling unstable.
An injury typically causes a broken ankle. This includes rolling or twisting your ankle during everyday activities.
Broken ankles are also caused by impact from falls, sports, or vehicle collisions.
Stress fractures often occur as a result of overuse or repeated high-impact activities.
Ankle fractures can be caused by a direct impact that breaks one or more of the bones that comprise the ankle. They can also be caused by rolling or twisting the ankle, overflexing or extending the joint, or landing on the feet from a height.
Fractures can be:
Non-displaced ankle fractures can also be categorized based on whether the break is complete or not:
Depending on what part of the ankle is broken, your ankle fracture can be further categorized as follows:
Ankle fractures often, but not always, involve soft tissue injuries such as ligament tears.
Athletes and older adults are typically at higher risk for ankle injuries.
This is because bones tend to become weaker with age, and those engaged in high-impact sports are more likely to experience impact-related injuries.
Accidental injuries typically cause broken bones.
While it’s not possible to eliminate the risk of accidents, you can reduce your risk of fractures by managing your activities and overall bone health:
Emergency room intake procedures aim to evaluate the severity and status of a medical emergency as quickly as possible.
Standard tests used to evaluate an emergency situation include:
After intake, tests and procedures in the emergency department vary depending on the type of emergency. They may include:
Dignity Health offers prompt, caring, and expert care for all emergencies. Our staff members are skilled at assessing the situation and collecting the information that they need to make informed and accurate decisions. If you or someone else is experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 as soon as possible.
The information contained in this article is meant for educational purposes only and should not replace advice from your healthcare provider.