The department of a hospital that is continuously staffed 24 hours a day by specially trained personnel able to deal with any medical, traumatic, psychiatric, or environmental emergency. It is the center of activity for the region’s ambulance system and regional disaster management. More than 100 million visits to emergency departments in the United States are made annually; about half of those visits are considered nonurgent.
A hospital department which gives care for patients who need prompt attention. By definition, patients may not become continuing patients of an emergency department; the entire episode of emergency care is one visit. Ordinarily, an emergency department is available 24 hours a day. Also called emergency room (ER).
The unit of a hospital in which acute, severe, or urgent illnesses and/or injuries are treated.