When should I go to the emergency department?

If you are not sure of the seriousness of your condition, you should go to Emergency for assessment.

However, the following symptoms indicate a need for immediate assessment either by your family physician or in the emergency department.

- You are having severe chest pain,

- You are having difficulty getting your breath,

- You have severe abdominal pain,

- You have an unexplained high fever, stiff neck or suddenly experience a severe and unusual headache.

You should not be going to the emergency department with any of the following conditions:

- A cold (runny nose, mild sore throat, cough with clear mucous, no fever). This lasts from seven to ten days with or without treatment.

- Ankle sprains with no or mild swelling where the patient can walk on it.

- Chronic problems where the family physician knows about it.

- Most ear infections.

- Wax in the ears.

- Plantars warts.

- Ingrown toenail.

When in doubt call!
The best rule of thumb is, when in doubt, call your physician. However, if it is after office hours and you are not sure, it is better to rule on the side of caution and go to the emergency department.

Why do some people wait four and five hours while others see a doctor almost immediately no matter when they arrive?
That's called triage. Triage means checking each patient out and prioritizing them according to the seriousness and urgency of their condition. The triage nurse assesses each patient. Some patients who are seen ahead of you may not look sick to you, but they may have a condition that requires immediate treatment or assessment (such as an allergic reaction with breathing problems or chest pain that sounds like a heart attack).

What are my options if I can't get in touch with my family physician or I don't have one?

Regent Street Medical Centre, Fredericton
1015 Regent Street
Monday - Friday 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Weekends and most holidays 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Brookside Mall Medical Clinic, Nashwaaksis
475 Brookside Drive
Monday - Friday                          6 p.m. – Full^*
Weekends and most holidays    1 p.m. – Full^*
* Depends on physician and number of patients.

New Maryland After-Hours Medical Clinic
636 New Maryland Hwy
Monday - Friday 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Student Health Centre, UNB – 453-4837
(for full-time students only)
Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Woodstock Medical Clinic
110 Chapel Street
Woodstock, N.B.
Call 328-9250 for the clinic hours of operation.

TeleCare may be able to help with making the decision. A Registered Nurse will take your call and give you advice about your condition. This service is available 7-days-a-week, 24-hours-a-day.
Tel: 1-800-244-8353

Remember Worst Comes First
Be assured that emergency personnel want to treat you just as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, sometimes that's just not as quickly as you or we would like.