What does Emergent Mean?
Emergent is defined as something which is coming into being. There are definitely emerging diseases in our profession. Novel viruses and bacteria for example. But not cases that are an emergency or urgent. This distinction was discussed almost a decade ago in the blog “AMA Style Insider.”
This post sums up the situation nicely.
An emergency is an unexpected event that needs immediate action. For example, an emergency of a cat presenting in respiratory distress.
An urgent situation is one that requires quick, but not immediate action. For example, a dog presenting with a small laceration requires urgent care.
An emergent situation is the process of coming into being. For example, in 2019, SARS-CoV-2 was an emergent disease. When an individual presents in respiratory distress from COVID-19 it is not emergent. It is an emergency.
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