US Medical Term · emergency
Emergency Room
Sala de emergencias
Also: Urgencias (regional variant)
What it means
An emergency room is the portion of a hospital where emergency diagnosis and treatment of illness or injury is provided. MedlinePlus shortens the name to ER and says that the doctors and nurses there treat emergencies, such as heart attacks and injuries. Some emergencies need help on the spot: emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, answer emergency calls and give basic medical care, and they usually take the person to the ER for more care. MedlinePlus tells readers who need emergency care to go to their hospital's emergency room and, if they think the problem is life-threatening, to call 911. This page explains the term and its Spanish equivalents; it is a language reference and does not replace advice from a health care provider.
Emergency Room in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Sala de emergencias
- Gender and article
- feminine: la sala de emergencias
- Pronunciation
- SAH-lah deh eh-mehr-HEN-syahs
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sala de urgencias | General | Form used on the MedlinePlus en español emergency medical services page, where the English page says hospital emergency room. |
| urgencias | General | Feminine plural that the RAE dictionary defines as the section of hospitals where seriously ill and injured people who need immediate medical care are attended. |
| departamento de emergencias | General | Form that MedlinePlus en español also writes in its article on when to use emergency services. |
Sala de emergencias is printed in the MedlinePlus en español article on when to use emergency services, in the sentence that tells readers to go to la sala de emergencias del hospital. The phrase is feminine because sala is: la sala de emergencias. The same article does not keep to one name. It also writes departamento de emergencias and servicio de urgencias for the place where a person goes for emergency care.
The MedlinePlus en español page on emergency medical services uses a third form, sala de urgencias, where the English page says hospital emergency room. The Real Academia Española dictionary enters the feminine plural urgencias as the section of hospitals where seriously ill and injured people who need immediate medical care are attended. Words printed near the term in these pages include clínica de atención urgente (urgent care clinic), copago (copayment) and the instruction llame al 911 (call 911).
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | Where is the entrance to the emergency room? | ¿Dónde está la entrada de la sala de emergencias? |
| Clinician | What brings you to the emergency room today? | ¿Qué le trae hoy a la sala de emergencias? |
| Patient | I fell an hour ago, and my arm hurts a lot. | Me caí hace una hora y me duele mucho el brazo. |
| Clinician | The nursing staff will check you first, and then the medical team will see you. | Primero le revisará el personal de enfermería y después le atenderá el equipo médico. |
| Patient | How long is the wait in the emergency room? | ¿Cuánto tiempo hay que esperar en la sala de emergencias? |
| Clinician | Do you have your insurance card and a list of your medicines? | ¿Tiene su tarjeta del seguro y una lista de sus medicamentos? |
| Patient | Do I have to pay a copayment for this emergency room visit? | ¿Tengo que pagar un copago por esta visita a la sala de emergencias? |
| Clinician | If you think the problem is life-threatening, call 911. | Si cree que el problema pone en peligro la vida, llame al 911. |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Emergency Room |
| Spanish (Español) | Sala de emergencias |
| Chinese (中文) | 急診室 |
| Korean (한국어) | 응급실 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Phòng cấp cứu |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Silid ng emerhensiya |
| Portuguese (Português) | Pronto-socorro |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ห้องฉุกเฉิน |
| Japanese (日本語) | 救急救命室 |
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: General care: tests, procedures and medicines
All terms in this area: General care: tests, procedures and medicines — Atención general: pruebas, procedimientos y medicamentos
Sources
- Glossary — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Emergency Medical Services — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Servicios de emergencias médicas — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- Cuándo utilizar el servicio de emergencias para los adultos — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- urgencia — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026