KNOW WHEN TO VISIT ER, AND WHEN NOT TO.

Byline: Daily News

LANCASTER - Knowing when you or someone you know needs emergency attention can be a matter of life and death, Antelope Valley Hospital officials say.

Issuing tips on when a visit to a hospital emergency room is warranted, hospital officials said, adding that people make more than 100 million emergency room visits each year in the United States, causing overcrowding and long wait times at hospitals across the country.

``It's best not to come to the emergency room with simple ailments such as colds or earaches,'' said Dr. John Lynn, emergency room medical director at Antelope Valley Hospital. ``In these cases, an urgent care center or community clinic is a better choice. If in doubt, call your physician. If you do not have a physician, always err on the side of caution and seek treatment at the nearest emergency facility.''

With almost 100,000 emergency room visits annually, Antelope Valley Hospital is the second-busiest emergency department in Southern California and the 10th busiest hospital in the United States, hospital officials say.

In assessing whether you need emergency care, you must consider whether your condition is life threatening.

The hospital said true emergencies for which a person needs immediate medical assistance include:

--Chest pain.

--Trouble breathing.

--Seizures.

--Severe cuts.

--Large burns.

--Overdoses.

--Accidental ingestion of a foreign object or material.

--Infants under 3 months with fever higher than 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

``It is best to seek routine medical care through your primary practitioner and utilize the emergency room for more severe conditions,'' Lynn said.