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A Trip to Les Urgences in France

Get through a French emergency department: triage, pain questions, X-ray, cast and going home.

In France the emergency department is called les urgences; for a medical emergency you dial 15 (SAMU) or 112, and many hospitals now ask you to call 15 first unless it's life-threatening so they can direct you to the right place. At the desk a triage nurse assesses how urgent you are, so waits of several hours are common for minor injuries. Bring your carte Vitale and ID; with a carte Vitale you usually pay nothing on the spot, and a flat fee for the visit is then covered by your mutuelle.

Classical architecture featuring an emergency entrance in an urban environment.
Photo: Mathias Reding on Pexels
  1. 1

    Où sont les urgences ?

    Where's the emergency department?

  2. 2

    Je crois que je me suis cassé le poignet.

    I think I've broken my wrist.

  3. 3

    Je suis tombé de vélo.

    I fell off my bike.

  4. 4

    J'ai très mal.

    It really hurts.

  5. 5

    Sur une échelle de 1 à 10, vous avez mal à combien ?

    On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is the pain?

  6. 6

    Je n'arrive pas à bouger la main.

    I can't move my hand.

  7. 7

    Ça a gonflé.

    It's swollen up.

  8. 8

    Il y a combien d'attente ?

    How long is the wait?

  9. 9

    On va vous faire une radio.

    We're going to X-ray it.

  10. 10

    Vous avez votre carte Vitale ?

    Have you got your health insurance card?

  11. 11

    Vous êtes à jour de votre vaccin contre le tétanos ?

    Are your tetanus jabs up to date?

  12. 12

    Je prends des anticoagulants.

    I'm on blood thinners.

  13. 13

    J'ai l'impression que je vais m'évanouir.

    I feel like I'm going to faint.

  14. 14

    Quelqu'un peut m'accompagner ?

    Can someone come in with me?

  15. 15

    C'est une fracture, on va vous plâtrer.

    It's a fracture, we're going to put it in a cast.

  16. 16

    Je vais vous donner un antidouleur.

    I'll give you something for the pain.

  17. 17

    Il faut l'immobiliser six semaines.

    It has to be kept still for six weeks.

  18. 18

    La prochaine fois, je dois appeler le 15 d'abord ?

    Next time, should I call 15 first?

    Tip: 15 is the French medical emergency number, answered by a doctor.

  19. 19

    Est-ce que je peux rentrer chez moi ?

    Can I go home?

  20. 20

    Revenez si la douleur augmente.

    Come back if the pain gets worse.