Emergency care
Emergency room (ER) in St. Petersburg
When you or a loved one experiences a medical emergency, you deserve expert care you can rely on.
At HCA Florida Pasadena, our emergency department doctors and nurses are trained to care for medical emergencies. The ER is open 24/7, and we are standing by to provide the care you need, when you need it most.
Expert advice, available 24/7
Free health-related information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Free health-related information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Our emergency department program
To help deliver you with the highest quality of emergency care possible, we offer a variety of on-site amenities and personalized services.
ER features
To help ensure you receive the best possible emergency care, our ER features:
- Advanced monitoring equipment
- Bedside registration
- Comfortable treatment rooms
- Fast-track ER for less serious illnesses and injuries
- Intensive care unit (ICU)
- Private triage area
- 20-bed emergency unit
If you require additional care and monitoring, you may be admitted as an inpatient to our hospital with access to a variety of physicians and services.
Heart attack treatment
In the event you come to our ER with symptoms of a heart attack, we will provide you with compassionate heart care. Our emergency physicians may offer a variety of treatments depending on the severity of your condition. You may be treated with medications, such as blood thinners, or require surgery to open up a blockage.
Heart attack symptoms
The longer a heart attack goes untreated, the more damage there is to the muscle. Recognizing the early signs of a heart attack can help people acknowledge subtle symptoms and seek care faster.
Some common early heart attack symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Back pain
- Chest pressure, squeezing or discomfort
- Fatigue
- Feeling of fullness
- Jaw pain
- Nausea
- Pain that travels down one or both arms
- Shortness of breath
Call 911 if you experience any of the following:
- Chest discomfort, including any kind of uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain that lasts for more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back
- Cold sweats
- Discomfort in the upper body, including pain or discomfort in one or both arms as well as the back, neck, jaw or stomach
- Indigestion or gastric fullness that is not relieved by antacids
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
- Sudden light-headedness
Stroke care
We are recognized by The Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center and have received national accreditation for the stroke services we offer. Our emergency physicians, neurologists and staff work together to provide you with a quick diagnosis and treatment when you come to us with stroke symptoms.
Stroke symptoms
Knowing the signs and symptoms of a stroke can help save your life and can also significantly affect your quality of life after recovery.
Call 911 if you experience any of the following:
- Confusion or trouble talking or understanding speech
- Dizziness, trouble walking or loss of balance or coordination
- Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Severe headache with no known cause
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Frequently asked questions
To best help you, we have consolidated a list of answers to questions we commonly receive about our emergency care.
When should I visit the ER?
We understand it can be difficult to know whether you should go to the ER or wait for your doctor's office to open. However, we want you to feel secure about your choice for care.
There are a wide range of symptoms that may indicate you need to visit the ER, including:
- Back pain
- Broken bones
- Chest pain
- Concussion
- Flu
- Side pain
- Stomach pain
- Trouble breathing
If you are unsure if your symptoms require an ER visit, you can speak to a nurse 24/7 by calling our Consult-A-Nurse® team at (844) 706-8773.
What should I expect at the ER?
When you get to the ER, one of our triage nurses will medically screen, evaluate and stabilize you to assess your symptoms and vital signs. Next, a registration clerk will collect your insurance card (if available) and other information.
If you have a severe, life-threatening illness or injury, you will be treated first. Otherwise, you will be treated in the order you arrive.
Before discharge, we encourage you to ask our emergency care teams any questions you have. It is also useful for you to keep all of your paperwork, discharge information and medicines or prescriptions together after you leave the ER.
After discharge, our emergency department staff will reach out to your primary care provider to ensure they are updated on your care.
What should I bring to the ER?
When coming to the ER, we recommend you bring:
- A list of known allergies
- A list of medicines you currently take
- A responsible adult or phone number for someone to contact
- Copies of results from recent medical tests, if available
- Personal care preferences and restrictions
How do I stay updated on wait times in the ER?
When it comes to emergency services, our goal is to continually work toward enhancing the care you receive, while reducing our wait times. This ensures you get the support you need, when you need it most.
Our wait times are updated every 30 minutes and are available on our website.
To find out the wait times of the HCA Florida ER nearest to you, check the top of our website or text "ER" to 32222.
Note: Message and data rates may apply. ER wait times are approximate and provided for informational purposes only.
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