Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 2

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Obituaries

Memorial services information will be posted when available.

Good and Welfare

With the recent changes to our Health and Welfare Plan, members may be more reluctant to go to the Emergency Room when they need to. Use this information as guideline to what is a medical emergency and needs immediate care and what can wait for an office visit.

When Should I Go to the ER?

Use good judgment in deciding when to use emergency medical services. Learn the signs of serious illness and trust your instincts. If you are alarmed by unusually severe symptoms, it is best to seek immediate care.
Call your primary care physician and describe your symptoms. The doctor can tell you whether emergency treatment is necessary. For urgent problems that don't require emergency care, most doctors will rearrange their schedule to squeeze you in that same day (so be understanding when such a problem means your appointment is juggled a bit).
A good primary care doctor is available 24 hours a day for emergencies or takes turns handling off-hour urgent calls with colleagues. Contacting your doctor is useful even if you do end up going to the emergency room. He or she can meet you there or call to give the ER doctors information on your health history.

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) recommends you become familiar with the symptoms of common illnesses and injuries such as those listed in the booklet Home Organizer for Medical Emergencies. To get a free copy, call ACEP at 800-446-9776.

The following are some general guidelines to help you decide when a trip to the ER is necessary:

Good Reasons to go to the Emergency Room

Bad Reasons to go to the Emergency Room

▪Loss of consciousness.

▪Signs of heart attack that last two minutes or more. These include: pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest; tightness, burning, or aching under the breastbone; chest pain with lightheadedness.

▪Signs of a stroke, including: sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body; sudden dimness or loss of vision, particularly in one eye; loss of speech, or trouble talking or understanding speech; sudden, severe headaches with no known cause; unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls, especially when accompanied by any other stroke symptoms.

▪Severe shortness of breath.

▪Bleeding that does not stop after 10 minutes of direct pressure.

▪Sudden, severe pain.

▪Poisoning (Note: If possible, call your local poison control center first and ask for immediate home treatment advice-certain poisons should be vomited as soon as possible while others should be diluted with water as soon as possible. Such preliminary home treatment could save your life.)

▪A severe or worsening reaction to an insect bite or sting, or to a medication, especially if breathing is difficult.

▪A major injury, such as a head trauma.

▪Unexplained stupor, drowsiness or disorientation.

▪Coughing up or vomiting blood.

▪Severe or persistent vomiting.

▪Suicidal or homicidal feelings.

▪Earache.

▪Minor cuts where bleeding is controlled.

▪A minor dog or animal bite where bleeding is controlled (but see your doctor--a rabies shot may be necessary).

▪A broken bone (call your doctor to see if he/she can treat you the same day, if not-- or if bone is showing, limb is deformed--go to the ER).

▪A sprain.

▪A sunburn or minor burn from cooking.

▪An insect sting or delayed swelling from a sting (if there is breathing difficulty, go to the ER).

▪A skin rash.

▪Fever (if there is a convulsion, go to the ER).

▪Sexually-transmitted diseases.

▪Colds and cough, sore throat, flu.


If you have items that you would like posted on the Good and Welfare page, please e-mail Greg Chastain at greg@sheetmetal2.org.