Emergency rooms provide care to people suffering injuries ranging from a sprained ankle to a heart attack — and they are staffed with doctors, nurses, and medical experts who handle a variety of conditions. * Trauma centers, on the other hand, are for patients with the most extreme injuries.

* Emergency situations are often confusing and frightening. * To take appropriate actions in any emergency, follow the three basic emergency action steps: * Check-Call-Care. * Check the scene and the victim. * Call the local emergency number to activate the EMS system.

* There are three main types of trauma: Acute, Chronic, or Complex * Acute trauma results from a single incident. * Chronic trauma is repeated and prolonged such as domestic violence or abuse. * Complex trauma is exposure to varied and multiple traumatic events, often of an invasive, interpersonal nature

While the ER treats a wider variety of ailments, ranging from non-life threatening injuries to potential heart attacks and strokes. * Trauma center is equipped to handle the most serious of conditions such as car accident injuries, gunshot wounds, traumatic brain injuries, stab wounds, serious falls, and burns.