ER services in Wabash Valley

When minutes matter in an emergency, you want to know you are getting the best care as quickly as possible. Terre Haute Regional Hospitals emergency room is prepared to handle any medical emergency you have, any time of day.

We do our best to make each emergency room visit as quick and comfortable as possible. Our physicians are board-certified in emergency medicine and have additional training to care for kids. We were also the first hospital in Wabash Valley to become an Accredited Chest Pain Center, which means we are prepared 24/7 to provide expert care for heart emergencies, like heart attacks.

If you or someone you know is experiencing an emergency, always call 911. If you are not experiencing an emergency, but wish to speak with our nurses, you can reach us at (812) 237-1200, 24/7.

Maps & Directions

Our top priority is ensuring you get the care you need quickly and that we provide it with the compassion and comfort you expect with HCA Healthcare. Our ER offers:

Visit our website or text 'ER' to 32222 to find out HCA ER wait times closest to you (message and data rates may apply). Use our guide below to determine when it's best to go to the ER.

When to go to the ER

Sometimes it is easy to know when you should seek emergency medical care, like when you are having a heart attack. Although, the lines can become blurred when you experience a headache, stomach pain or back pain. Use our guide below to determine when it's best to go to the ER.

The flu virus is very common and does not normally require a visit to the ER. But, for the high-risk populations listed below, it can be very serious:

  • Infants
  • People 65 years old and older
  • Pregnant women
  • People with certain diseases, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • People with weakened or compromised immune systems

Signs that you should go to the ER with the flu include:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Vomiting that can’t be controlled, to the point of severe loss of body fluids (dehydration)
  • If you develop complications such as pneumonia

Still not sure? Consult our cold/flu/stomach flu symptoms chart for more information.

Stomach pain is the most common reason patients visit the ER. Everyone experiences stomach pain at some point. It can result from a variety of causes and occur in varying degrees of severity. So when is your pain serious enough to go to the emergency room?

You should seek immediate medical attention if your stomach pain is accompanied by any of the following symptoms:

  • Stomach is hard and/or tender to the touch
  • Persistent nausea or vomiting
  • Inability to eat without nausea or vomiting
  • Pain in your chest, neck or shoulder
  • Shortness of breath or dizziness
  • High fever
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Dark or black stool
  • Vomit contains blood

Respiratory distress can be the result of chronic conditions, like asthma or emphysema, or something more serious, such as heart failure. Signs that you should seek emergency medical treatment include:

  • Breathing stops
  • Severe shortness of breath that affects your ability to function
  • Noisy, high-pitched and rapid wheezing
  • Coughing up blood
  • Inability to speak comfortably and sustain voice while at rest
  • Breathing difficulties when you lie flat
  • Breathlessness that doesn’t stop after 30 minutes of rest

Or if your trouble breathing is accompanied by any of the following symptoms:

  • Back or arm pain
  • Pain or tightness in chest
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Swelling in your feet and ankles
  • High fever, chills and cough

Call 911 right away if you have chest pain that is crushing or squeezing and comes with any of these symptoms:

  • Sweating
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Pain that spreads from the chest to the neck, jaw or arms
  • Lightheadedness
  • Fast or irregular pulse
  • Signs of shock

Signs of a heart attack may show up in other ways in women, and may include:

  • Unusual fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness
  • Discomfort in your gut
  • Discomfort in the neck, shoulder or upper back

A concussion or any injury to the head can be very serious. If you have hit your head and have any of these symptoms, you should go to the ER:

  • Loss of consciousness, even briefly
  • Any period of amnesia or loss of memory of the event
  • Slurred speech
  • Feeling dazed or confused
  • Worsening or severe headache
  • Vomiting
  • Seizure

Most people will experience pain in their side or abdomen at some point in their lives, and it’s usually only temporary. However, severe side pain can be an indication of something serious.

If you have severe pain, especially in your lower right stomach, side or back, or if your pain is accompanied by any of the following symptoms, you should seek immediate medical treatment:

  • Fever
  • Dizziness
  • Persistent nausea or vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Blood in the urine or pain during urination or have had a recent urinary tract infection (UTI)

Severe pain lasting only a few seconds may be nothing to worry about unless it’s reoccurring. If severe pain persists for more than a few minutes you should seek medical attention regardless of other symptoms.

Some common diagnoses may include:

  • Urological issues, such as a kidney infection, kidney stones or a bladder infection Appendicitis
  • Ovarian cyst
  • Side pain can be an indication of a number of different medical conditions. If the pain is severe, it’s important to get it checked out by a medical professional.

If you are struggling to decide whether you should go to the ER or wait for your doctors office to open, you can contact a nurse at (812) 237-1200.

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Pediatric-friendly emergency room

Our doctors and nurses at Terre Haute Regional Hospitals ER are trained to care for children and provide specialized care 24/7. Our physicians ensure that you are involved throughout your childs treatment, so you are fully aware of all of the services and treatments your child will undergo.

If your child is experiencing an emergency, always call 911 first.

FastTrack ER

When you need care for a less critical injury or illness in Wabash Valley, visit the FastTrack ER at Terre Haute Regional Hospital. Our FastTrack ER is designed to provide convenient walk-in care for minor emergencies. As an extension of our ER, you have easy access to advanced emergency care, if you need it.

Our FastTrack ER is for minor illnesses and injuries that are not emergencies but require treatment within 24 hours, including:

  • Earache
  • Cough symptoms
  • Sore throat
  • Back pain
  • Cuts
  • Bites, stings, and allergic reactions
  • Burning or infrequent urination
  • Constipation or diarrhea
  • Rashes
  • Suture removal
  • Wound checks
  • Prescription refills

Use the ER entrance and check-in for our FastTrack ER. Our ER is open 24/7.

What to expect when you go to the ER

When you first get to the ER, a triage nurse will ask you about your symptoms and take your vital signs. Once you have seen a healthcare professional, a registration clerk will get information for your medical record and insurance. Whether or not you have insurance or can pay, you will be medically screened, evaluated and stabilized.

If you have a life-threatening illness or injury, you will be first to be treated in the ER, followed by seriously ill or unstable patients. All others will be seen in the order that they come to the ER. We strive to make your time in the waiting room as pleasant and as brief as possible.

What to bring with you to the ER:

  • List of medicines you take or the actual medicines
  • List of known medical allergies
  • A copy of results from any recent medical tests
  • List of recent medical procedures
  • Care preferences or restrictions
  • A responsible adult or phone number for someone to contact

Before you are sent home, ask any questions you may have about your care. Make sure you keep all paperwork, discharge instructions and medicines if you receive any.

If you have a primary care provider listed in your medical record, we will give them a copy of your visit summary. Contact your primary care provider after you visit our emergency room. If you do not have a primary care provider, we can help you find one.