Five things to avoid in the emergency room

Some readers may recall the case last year of Edith Rodriguez who was virtually ignored while dying on the floor of an emergency room in LA. It brought to light the distress some people may be overwhelmed with while visiting hospitals in seek of help. Thankfully not all medical establishments operate this way, but what are you supposed to avoid doing if faced with such a situation?

This CNN article enumerates five things not to do in the ER. For starters, don't forget to call your regular doctor in transit. If you or someone you know is in need of medical help, reach out to someone familiar. They can spur a quicker response at the emergency room. Don't call for an ambulance unless it's totally necessary. That means if you can walk, you probably don't need it. Why? Because they may ask you to wait with the other sick people when you get there -- an ambulance doesn't fast track anyone through the emergency room.

Don't sit there quietly. Be heard if nobody is helping you. Ask to talk with someone in charge if a nurse isn't providing adequate acknowledgment. This leads to another important point: Don't lie. Overly exaggerating symptoms can leave a person in worse shape than when they got there. And if all else fails, pick up a phone located in the ER and dial zero. Connect with a hospital administrator and get the ball rolling!