What is an emergency? When do I dial the emergency number?

You dial emergency or go directly to the hospital when your life is in acute danger. Here are examples of when it’s best to dial emergency: \n \n Loss of consciousness \n severe shortness of breath \n severe chest pain or heart discomfort \n severe bleeding that cannot be stopped \n Accidents with suspected severe injuries \n poisoning \n severe burns \n Drowning accidents \n Electrical accidents \n Suicide attempts of any kind \n acute and persistent seizures \n sudden birth or complications of pregnancy \n acute and persistent severe pain \n \n

When do I go to the medical on-call service? (Ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst)

If your family doctor’s office is closed and you can’t wait for the office to reopen, call the medical on-call service. The telephone number is 116117. Here are examples of when you should go to the medical on-call service: \n \n Cold with fever, higher than 39 °C. \n persistent vomiting diarrhea with insufficient fluid intake \n severe sore throat or earache \n acute urinary tract infections \n acute back pain \n acute abdominal pain \n \n It is best to call before going to the on-call medical service. \n

emergency

If you have an emergency outside of the opening hours of doctor surgeries you can go to hospital. At hospitals there are “Notfallambulanzen” (emergency rooms). If you need an ambulance you need to call 112. Tell them where you are and what has happened. For every treatment you have to bring your “AOK” Gesundheitskarte (health card). In an emergency you can also hand it in within the next 10 days.

Important emergency phone numbers can be reached for free from any telephone:

Police: 110

Fire brigade/accident ambulance: 112

Poison emergency phone Niedersachsen/Bremen: 0551 19240

You dial emergency or go directly to the hospital when your life is in acute danger. Here are examples of when it’s best to dial emergency:
- Loss of consciousness
- severe shortness of breath
- severe chest pain or heart discomfort
- severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
- Accidents with suspected severe injuries
- poisoning
- severe burns
- Drowning accidents
- Electrical accidents
- Suicide attempts of any kind
- acute and persistent seizures
- sudden birth or complications of pregnancy
- acute and persistent severe pain
If your family doctor’s office is closed and you can’t wait for the office to reopen, call the medical on-call service. The telephone number is 116117. Here are examples of when you should go to the medical on-call service:
- Cold with fever, higher than 39 °C.
- persistent vomiting diarrhea with insufficient fluid intake
- severe sore throat or earache
- acute urinary tract infections
- acute back pain
- acute abdominal pain
It is best to call before going to the on-call medical service.

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