Making Sense of Recognizing an Emergency

In the conditions where minutes matter, delay is the main factor in outcome, and most delay is spent deciding whether to call.

Key takeaways

• Always 911: chest pain, stroke signs, severe breathlessness, heavy bleeding, unconsciousness
• F.A.S.T.: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911
• Most useful single change: Call 911 if you think it might be one of these; that is the right threshold.
• Commonest mistake: Driving yourself or someone else with a suspected heart attack or stroke.
• See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.

The short answer

The symptoms that mean calling 911 rather than waiting.

Where it fits

This is part of Emergency Care. The rest of this page works through the figures and then the practical side.

The numbers, in one place

What that means in practice

What to do with all of that:

• Call 911 if you think it might be one of these; that is the right threshold
• Put the phone on speaker so you can follow the dispatcher's instructions
• Unlock the door and put pets away if you can
• Know your address or location before you call

What gets people into trouble

What to watch out for:

• Driving yourself or someone else with a suspected heart attack or stroke
• Waiting to see whether symptoms settle
• Hanging up before the dispatcher tells you to

Related topics

• Heart Attack Symptoms: What the Evidence Actually Says (Heart Health)
• Workplace First Aid: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Workplace Health)
• Stroke: What Published Guidance Supports (Brain Health)
• What the Guidance Really Says About When to Go to the ER (Using Health Services)

Where to go next

• Recognizing an Emergency: What Published Guidance Supports
• The Recognizing an Emergency Checklist: What to Do and What to Skip
• Recognizing an Emergency — the reference entry
• Emergency Care: The Complete Guide
• CPR and Defibrillation: What the Evidence Actually Says
• Choking: What the Evidence Actually Says

When to speak to a doctor

Call 911 for chest pain or pressure lasting more than a few minutes, sudden weakness or numbness on one side, facial drooping, difficulty speaking, severe breathlessness, heavy bleeding, a seizure that does not stop, unconsciousness, a rash that does not fade when pressed, or signs of a severe allergic reaction. For problems that are urgent but not life-threatening, call your doctor's office or go to urgent care.

Where this comes from

• American College of Emergency Physicians — Know When to Go
• American Stroke Association — Stroke Symptoms
• Poison Control — Get Help

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.