The Emergency Department serves as a local medical resource to the Foggy Bottom community while also serving the health care needs of visitors to the nation's capital. The hospital is the primary receiving center for emergencies occurring in the nation's monuments and government complexes in downtown Washington, D.C.

With the city's only hyperbaric medicine program, the hospital receives most patients with smoke inhalation or suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.

The George Washington University Hospital has one of the premier emergency departments in the country with a long history of providing leading edge medicine in a caring, efficient and cost-conscious environment. In 1981, GW's Emergency Department played a major role in saving the life of then President Ronald Reagan after an assassination attempt left him severely wounded. Most recently, in July 1998, the department took care of two victims of the tragic shooting at the United States Capitol.

A team of physicians, board certified in emergency medicine, work in cooperation with other in-house specialists to provide efficient, quality treatment as follows:

Stroke:
The Emergency Department plays a pivotal role on the hospital's brain attack team, which is devoted to rapid intervention for acute strokes.

If a stroke is suspected, time is of the essence. It is now established that patients who suffer acute strokes can benefit from thrombolytic therapy if the medication is administered within three hours of the stroke. Together with area ambulance services and the emergency, radiology, and neurology department have organized a rapid response 24 hour brain attack team to evaluate and treat acute stroke patients who are brought to the hospital's Emergency Department.

Heart Attack:
Emergency intervention for heart attacks is coordinated with cardiologists, radiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons. Our physicians are known for their success in treating individuals experiencing a heart attack and has been reported to have one of the country's lowest mortality rates for heart attacks.

Time is critical for anyone experiencing the symptoms of a heart attack. Waiting too long before going to the emergency department may increase the amount of heart damage. Seeking immediate treatment can make a big difference in the quality of life after recovery.

Depending on the type and severity of the heart attack, the cardiac team takes patients from the emergency department directly to a catheterization lab to administer treatments to clear blocked arteries and restore blood and oxygen flow to damaged heart tissue. At The George Washington University Hospital, a cardiac team and fully equipped cardiac catheterization suite is available 24 hours a day. Patients are rapidly evaluated and a course of treatment is begun.

Trauma:
In trauma, experience counts. The physicians and nurses of the emergency department have years of experience in treating all types of trauma from broken bones to serious wounds.

Advanced Emergency Medicine Provided at The George Washington University Hospital includes:

• Early intervention for heart attacks
• Early intervention for strokes
• Management of trauma conditions: falls, motor vehicle accidents, fractures, sprains, asthma management
• Management of acute back pain
• Expertise in lacerations, crush injuries, abrasions
• Treatment of migraines
• Evaluation and management of acute abdominal pain
• Acute Eye Conditions
• Treatment for common infections: pneumonia, kidney infections, skin infections
• Treatment of problems associated with diabetes, obstructive lung disease, heart disease and chronic medical problems