The Difference Between Emergency Care and Minor Treatment
- August 2008
- Français
The NHS operates five Emergency Departments throughout Niagara as well as a Prompt Care Centre and Primary Health Care Clinic. Understanding when to use these services and what to bring with you will help our health-care professionals better serve you and your loved ones.
For St. Catharines, Thorold and surrounding areas, there is both a full-service Emergency Department at St. Catharines General Site and a Prompt (Urgent) Care Centre at Ontario Street Site. If you live near or in this area, the severity of your medical complaint should dictate where you will go for assessment and treatment.
Going to the Right Location for Care in St. Catharines/Thorold
"Knowing where to go is very important. Sometimes patients and their families are unsure about which site or service they should use when they need medical care in St. Catharines/Thorold," explains Pat Morka, NHS Health Program Director of the Emergency Program. "We want the public to have the right information and to seek the right location for their medical treatment based on what they or their family member are experiencing. They're going to the Prompt Care Centre on Ontario Street with chest pain, for example, when they should be going to St. Catharines General."
"We want people to be treated as quickly as possible either at the Ontario Street Site Prompt Care Centre for minor non-life threatening concerns or at the St. Catharines General Emergency Department if more serious symptoms are being experienced."
Our Triage Nurses are usually the first person you will see. Triage, or head-to-toe assessment, is done using the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS), to determine who needs to be seen immediately. Here are the CTAS levels used:
- Level 1 – Resuscitation (Critical), eg. cardiac arrest, shock, major trauma
- Level 2 – Emergent, eg. asthma, altered mental state
- Level 3 – Urgent, eg. abdominal pain
- Level 4 – Less-urgent, eg. vomiting and diarrhea with no dehydration, earache
- Level 5 – Non-urgent, eg. vomiting, sore throat
When to Use a Full-Service Emergency Department or Call 911 …
Below are the types of cases best treated in a full-service Emergency Department or with a call to 911. These are some examples of triage Levels 1, 2 and 3:
- chest pains or tightness in the chest
- severe pain
- shortness of breath
- choking or breathing difficulty
- sudden, severe headaches, vision problems, sudden weakness, trouble speaking, dizziness, numbness and/or tingling in the face, arm or leg
- a child who has diarrhea and vomiting and won't eat or drink
- a baby under 6 months who has a fever over 38.5°C or 101°F
Emergency Departments are located at the following NHS hospitals: Douglas Memorial Hospital Site (Fort Erie); Greater Niagara General Site (Niagara Falls); Port Colborne General Site, St. Catharines General Site, Welland Hospital Site. These Emergency Departments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Prompt Care Centre at Ontario Street Site, St. Catharines
The Prompt Care Centre offers medical attention and treatment for adults and children experiencing urgent, but non-life threatening complaints, such as triage levels 4 and 5. The Prompt Care Centre is open daily, including weekends and holidays, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Ontario Street Site, 155 Ontario Street, St. Catharines. A Prompt Care Centre is often defined and compared to an Urgent Care or Walk-In clinic, all treating minor patient concerns, that could be urgent but are non-life threatening or emergent.
Go to a Prompt Care Centre for …
- unexpected minor illnesses and injuries
- fever
- cough
- ear aches
- eye injuries
- cuts
- sprains or broken bones
At the Niagara-on-the-Lake Hospital Site's Primary Health Care Clinic, a nurse practitioner sees outpatients with non-urgent conditions. Hours are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday — 9:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Thursday — 12:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Closed Saturday, Sunday and Statutory Holidays.
If you need advice on the right place to receive the care you need, consult your family physician or call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
Be Prepared for Your Visit
- Bring your up-to-date Ontario Health Card.
- Bring a list of all medications being taken on a regular basis, along with any other important information such as allergies.
- While waiting for treatment, please do not eat or drink without first checking with a nurse.
- If patients decide to leave the hospital before being seen by a doctor, please speak with a nurse.
Be Prepared At Home
- Check medications and medical equipment. Make sure that all family members have enough of their medications, both prescription and non-prescription. Don't forget needles, alcohol swabs, etc. Also check inhalers, respirators, oxygen, and glucose testing machines.
- Have extra batteries on hand for equipment such as electric wheelchairs.
- Update all emergency telephone numbers and post them in a visible place (eg. refrigerator).