River Oaks Emergency Center

Prevent a Trip to the Emergency Room with these Resources

Are you interested in learning more about first aid or treating illnesses and injuries? Visit these resources and contact the emergency center healthcare professionals at River Oaks Emergency Center at (713) 469-3223 for helpful information about your health.

• Do you know the first aid procedures for moderate to severe burn injuries? You can find out by reading through this MedlinePlus medical reference entry.
   
• Many burns occur within the home—learn how to prevent these injuries and emergency situations by checking out this article from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
   
• Influenza is associated with many unpleasant symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the symptoms and severity of seasonal flu.
   
•  This article from WebMD.com provides more information about the possible complications of the flu virus.
   
• The best way to avoid the symptoms and complications of the flu is to prevent infection altogether. Read more about flu prevention on the Mayo Clinic website.

Common Flu Symptoms vs. Severe Flu Symptoms

Influenza, more commonly called the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by a viral infection. Most often, the flu causes moderate illness that resolves in a couple weeks, but the disease can also lead to a more severe illness that could require emergency center care. Read on to learn more about common flu symptoms and when they are considered serious.

Common Flu Symptoms
Flu symptoms can vary, but typically include the following:

• Cough and sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose and congestion
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Excessive fatigue or tiredness
• Headache
• Diarrhea and vomiting (more common in children)
• Fever (not experienced in all cases)

Severe Flu Symptoms
Although the symptoms of flu can be similar to the common cold, the disease is actually quite different and occurs more suddenly. Unlike the common cold, influenza can result in many serious complications that can become life threatening. Some of the potential complications of the flu include:

• High fever, often with shaking chills
• Wheezing, difficulty breathing, or shortness of breath
• Chest pains
• Rapid breathing
• Coughing up blood-tinged sputum

Anyone infected with the flu virus can experience more severe symptoms, but certain populations do have an increased risk. Adults over the age of 65 and people of any age with chronic health conditions such as diabetes or congestive heart failure are more likely to suffer from bronchitis, pneumonia, and other severe illnesses. Very young children are also susceptible to serious complications of the flu. 

There is no cure for the flu. The best way to avoid the symptoms and complications associated with this disease is to practice healthy habits and to get a yearly influenza vaccine. If you have any questions about influenza or its treatment, contact the healthcare experts at River Oaks Emergency Center by calling (713) 469-3223. Our emergency room is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist residents of the Houston area with life-threatening medical situations.

How to Treat Second and Third Degree Burns

There are four degrees of burn severity: first-, second-, third-, and fourth-degree burns. First degree burns only damage the outermost layer of skin, while second-degree burns damage underlying layers, reaching into the dermis. Third-degree burns are very severe and damage deeper tissues, such as muscle and bone. Fourth-degree burns are incredibly severe by definition, maybe life threatening, and always require emergency center care.

By watching this video, you can learn more about how to treat serious burn injuries before seeking professional medical help. Third-degree burns can char, blacken, and blister the skin and must be expertly dressed with sterile, synthetic materials.

Each year, more than two million Americans suffer from a burn injury. If you incur a second, third, or fourth-degree burn, seek emergency medical attention at a 24 hour emergency room. Contact River Oaks Emergency Center today at (713) 469-3223, and ask about our emergency medical services.

Benefits of Going to a Specialty Emergency Center

When you or a loved one is struck with a severe illness or injury, it is important to find expert medical treatment as soon as possible. At a specialty emergency center, medical professionals are ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond immediately to any emergency situation. When a health crisis strikes, consider the following benefits of going to a specialty emergency center:

• Dedicated specialist physicians: The physicians working in emergency medicine are specially trained to respond quickly and efficiently in stressful medical situations. Emergency specialists are often trained in both pediatric and adult emergency care and are able to provide excellent treatment to all members of your family.
   
• On-site diagnostic and treatment tools: Unlike most urgent care centers, emergency clinics are able to diagnose and treat any life-threatening medical emergency with the tools available on-site. Most emergency centers have X-ray, CT scanning, and ultrasound available for imaging and a full laboratory for blood, flu, and urine tests.
   
• Advanced life support systems: In being prepared for any illness or injury, specialty emergency clinics provide patients with the most advanced life support systems available. River Oaks Emergency Center offers patients EKG and thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), adult and pediatric Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Advanced Trauma Life Support.
   
• Shorter wait times: Emergency centers are dedicated to making their wait times as brief as possible to give patients care when they need it most. At River Oaks Emergency Center, our wait times are consistently shorter than 10 minutes.

River Oaks Emergency Center of Houston is open all day, every day to provide expert emergency center care when every second counts. Our specialists have the equipment they need on-site to diagnose and treat you and your loved ones quickly and accurately. For more information about our preparedness for any life-threatening emergencies, please call us at (713) 469-3223.

Keep Your Family Safe in a Medical Emergency with Tips from These Informative Links

Would you like to learn more about preparing and planning for a medical emergency? You can find more information about this and other topics discussed in our recent blogs by looking through the helpful resources below. If you have any further questions about maintaining your health or finding an emergency center, contact River Oaks Emergency Center at (713) 469-3223.

• In this article, the American Red Cross outlines their recommendations for what a family of four should include in their household first aid kit.
   
• Knowing basic first aid and CPR procedures can help save lives in medical emergencies. Visit Harvard Medical School’s website to read more about what to do when an emergency happens at home.
   
• Hands-only CPR is a simple action that can help those suffering from a cardiac episode. Read this information from the American Heart Association to find out how to effectively perform hands-only CPR.
   
• Children who ingest foreign bodies can experience a variety of symptoms. This article from the American Association of Family Physicians provides more information about these symptoms and their causes.
   
• Foreign body aspiration can lead to choking and respiratory failure. Read this overview from KidsHealth.org to learn more about how to react to this medical emergency.