When should you call 911?

Korin Miller
Updated ·3 min read
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Motion blur ambulance United States
When should you call 911? Doctors break it down. (Photo: Getty Images)

Medical emergencies can be scary. Knowing what to do can be confusing. Call 911? Drive to the hospital? Here, doctors break down how to handle health crises.

When should you call 911?

Doctors say that this can be a tricky thing for people to determine on their own. When in doubt, you should always call 911, Dr. Russ Kino, an emergency medicine specialist medical director of the Weingart Foundation Emergency Department at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., tells Yahoo Life.

But there are some specific situations when you should definitely call 911, Dr. Mark Conroy, emergency medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells Yahoo Life. "Calling 911 is appropriate when there is a life- or limb-threatening emergency that requires immediate specialized attention," he says.

Paramedics and EMTs are trained to provide pre-hospital care and help stabilize patients until they can get to the hospital, Kino points out. "If someone is too sick — they're having trouble breathing, chest pain, passing out, severe burns, trauma, etc. — then an ambulance and that prehospital care can make a difference." They can also react if a person's condition deteriorates on the way to the hospital, he says.

Dr. Timothy Satty, medical director of emergency medical services at Rutgers University Hospital, shares this rule of thumb: "If you are uncomfortable with the condition of the person in front of you, you should probably call 911."

"If you feel uncomfortable with driving them to the hospital and feel like something bad is going to happen, you should also call 911," Satty tells Yahoo Life.

What can calling 911 do that you can't by driving someone to the hospital?

Kino says there are a few factors to consider. "EMS can start care where you are — they don't have to wait until you get to the hospital," he says. It's also important to keep in mind that there can be delays on the way to the hospital if you drive yourself or a loved one. "In most urban areas, the paramedics can arrive quickly and get you to the hospital fast," he says.

Medical staff at the hospital also get a heads up from EMS that the ambulance is on the way, Kino says. "We can prepare for your arrival."

When is it OK to drive to the hospital?

Again, experts stress the importance of calling 911 if you're unsure. However, experts say there are some situations where you may be OK to drive or have someone drive you.

"Less acute issues — something that has been going on for months — or musculoskeletal pains such as ankle sprains often will do well in a car," Conroy says.

Satty says that you can drive to the hospital for "minor" situations. "Think of things that you would go to urgent care for, but maybe your local urgent care is closed," he says. "But if a person is not responsive, if there's uncontrolled bleeding, they're having trouble breathing, there's an allergic reaction, they have sudden severe pain in the chest or abdomen, call 911."

Kino reiterates the importance of calling 911 in a medical emergency. "Don't be scared to call," he says. "It's there if you need it or think you need it."

The main takeaways

What the experts say, in checklist form:

  • When in doubt, call 911

  • If you are uncomfortable with the condition of the person in front of you, call 911

  • Is there a life- or limb-threatening emergency? Call 911.

  • If someone is having trouble breathing or chest pain, passing out, severe burns, uncontrolled bleeding, is not responsive or has sudden severe pain in the chest or abdomen, EMS can provide immediate specialized attention. Call 911.

  • Could you go to urgent care for this issue? Driving may be fine.