Emergency care
Emergency care is the treatment of unexpected, severe medical injuries or infections. It is typically delivered in an emergency room or an ambulance. Our emergency medicine physicians stabilize your condition as quickly as possible to prepare you for the next step of care or discharge.
Emergency services in Brandon, Florida
Medical emergencies are often never planned for and always unexpected, but at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital, we're experts in the unexpected.
Our 24/7 emergency room (ER) is staffed by a team of highly skilled physicians and nurses who treat medical emergencies for patients of every age. We also offer access to a wide range of specialists, which means whether you're experiencing shortness of breath or a broken arm, we can help. Regardless of the diagnosis, our expert emergency teams will work together to help you heal.
Our emergency room features and services
Visiting the emergency room can be an overwhelming situation, so when you're in our care, we want you to feel as comfortable as possible.
To help with this goal, our emergency room features:
- Access to over 45 medical specialties, the most of any emergency room in eastern Hillsborough County
- More than 70 exam rooms, including areas for express care, obstetrics, pediatrics and behavioral health
- Private rooms and spacious waiting areas
- Conveniently located main entrance (just off of Oakfield Drive) and a separate entrance for the pediatric emergency room (located off of Vonderburg Drive)
Heart attack treatment
The majority of damage caused by a heart attack occurs within the first two hours of symptom onset, so seeking immediate care is crucial. Our emergency room doctors provide fast treatment for patients experiencing heart attacks.
Additionally, our cardiology program is designed to expedite initial treatment and offer continued follow-up care after a heart event.
Heart attack symptoms
It is vital to be aware of all types of potential heart attack symptoms. Heart attack symptoms typically appear within 24 hours of a heart event but can begin up to three weeks prior to a heart attack.
Being able to identify the symptoms of a heart attack could save your life or the life of someone you love.
Typical heart attack symptoms include:
- Burning or aching in the chest
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Dizziness
- Feeling of doom
- Nausea or indigestion
- Pain in the neck, back or jaw
- Pressure or fullness in the chest
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Weakness or fatigue
Heart attack symptoms in women
Chest-related heart attack signs often appear in men, but many women do not have chest pain when experiencing a heart attack, which is why it is important to recognize alternate heart attack symptoms in women. Women more commonly experience symptoms such as:
- Back pain
- Pressure in the lower chest
- Shortness of breath
- Unexplained fatigue
- Upper abdominal pressure
When to seek heart attack treatment
Delaying treatment for a heart attack can be very dangerous, and you should call 911 at the onset of symptoms. Even though many people know this is true, they often delay seeking care because:
- They don't recognize the symptoms of a heart attack
- They are unwilling or afraid to admit that their symptoms may be serious
- They are embarrassed about "causing a scene" or finding out it was a false alarm
- They don't understand the importance of immediate medical intervention
We strongly encourage you not to delay seeking care if you think you are having a heart attack — call 911. We will never make you feel like you're "causing a scene" or minimize your feelings, even if it turns out you aren't having a heart attack.
Stroke treatment
We provide fast emergency care for patients coming to our emergency room with stroke symptoms. Our stroke team is on-site 24/7 to quickly administer treatment and provide lifesaving care.
Additionally, because of our adherence to evidence-based guidelines for stroke care, DNV GL Healthcare has recognized our hospital as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. This means our hospital is standing by to provide some of the highest quality stroke treatment available.
Pediatric emergency care
When it comes to your little one, you only want the best. That's why we offer a designated pediatric emergency room designed exclusively for young patients. Our specialized team provides advanced pediatric emergency care for kids of all ages.
Freestanding emergency rooms
In addition to our main campus and pediatric emergency rooms, we also have five freestanding emergency rooms throughout the area:
- HCA Florida Lakeland Emergency
- HCA Florida New Tampa Emergency
- HCA Florida North Lakeland Emergency
- HCA Florida Plant City Emergency
- HCA Florida Riverview Emergency
- HCA Florida University Emergency
Regardless of which emergency room location you visit, you'll receive high-quality care and have access to a range of medical specialties within our network.
Our emergency room wait times
When it comes to emergency care, our goal is to continually work toward enhancing the care you receive, while reducing our wait times. This ensures you get the care you need, when you need it most.
Our wait times are updated every 30 minutes and are available on our website.
To find out the wait times of the HCA Florida emergency room nearest to you, check the top of our website or text "ER" to 32222.
Note: Message and data rates may apply. Emergency room wait times are approximate and provided for informational purposes only.
When to go to the emergency room
We understand it can be hard to know what type of medical care you need, like whether you should go to the emergency room or wait for your doctor's office to open.
We want you to feel secure about your choice for care, which is why we've created a list of symptoms that may indicate you need to visit the emergency room:
- Back pain, when it is unbearable or accompanied by fever, numbness, weakness, confusion, slurred speech, vision loss or loss of control over bladder or bowels
- Broken bones, when the pain is severe or there is a visible deformity
- Chest pain, when it is crushing or squeezing and accompanied by other heart attack symptoms, such as shortness of breath or nausea
- Concussion, when you have lost consciousness, even briefly, or experience amnesia, vomiting, slurred speech or a seizure
- Flu, when symptoms become severe, such as having trouble breathing, vomiting uncontrollably or becoming dehydrated
- Side pain, when it is severe and occurs in the lower right stomach, side or back or is accompanied by fever, nausea, diarrhea or blood in the urine
- Stomach pain, when accompanied by a hard or tender stomach, nausea, shortness of breath, fever or irregular heartbeat
- Trouble breathing, when breathing stops, is noisy or high-pitched and comes with pain in the chest or severe shortness of breath
If you are unsure if your symptoms require an emergency room visit, you can speak to a nurse 24/7 by calling our Consult-A-Nurse® team at (888) 327-2636.
What to expect at the emergency room
When you get to the emergency room, one of our triage nurses will assess your symptoms and vital signs. Next, a registration clerk will collect your insurance card (if available) and other information.
We medically screen, evaluate and stabilize all patients — whether or not they have insurance or are able to pay.
Anyone who has severe, life-threatening illnesses or injuries will be treated first. Everyone else will be treated in the order they arrive.
Before discharge, we encourage you to ask our emergency care teams any questions you have. It is also useful for you to keep all of your paperwork, discharge information and medicines or prescriptions together after you leave the emergency room.
What to bring to the emergency room
When coming to the emergency room, we recommend you bring:
- A list of medicines you currently take
- A list of known allergies
- Copies of results from recent medical tests, if available
- Personal care preferences and restrictions
- A responsible adult or phone number for someone to contact
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