⚠️ MEDICAL EMERGENCY?
Dr Alan Teh’s Patient Portal, Telemedicine services, WhatsApp, and online appointment services are NOT for medical emergencies.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency:
- Call 999 for an ambulance in Malaysia.
- You may also dial 112 from a mobile phone.
- Go directly to the nearest hospital Emergency Department.
- You can also call SJMC Emergency department at +6019-9000 330 or via the main line +603 56391212
- Do not wait for a reply from Dr Alan Teh or the clinic.
- Do not drive yourself if you are seriously unwell.
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- Warning Signs of a Medical Emergency
The following symptoms may indicate a serious or life-threatening condition.
Chest Pain or Heart Problems
Seek emergency medical attention if you experience:
- Sudden chest pain, pressure, or tightness.
- Chest discomfort spreading to the arm, jaw, neck, or back.
- Chest pain accompanied by sweating, nausea, or breathlessness.
- Severe palpitations accompanied by dizziness, fainting, or chest discomfort.
These may be signs of a heart attack or a dangerous heart rhythm.
Stroke or Sudden Neurological Symptoms
Watch for:
- Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side.
- Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech.
- Facial drooping.
- Sudden loss of vision or double vision.
- Sudden difficulty walking or loss of balance.
- A sudden, extremely severe headache.
Remember FAST:
Letter Warning Sign F Face drooping A Arm weakness S Speech difficulty T Time to call 999
Even if symptoms disappear after a few minutes, seek emergency assessment. This could be a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), a warning sign of stroke.
Breathing Difficulties
Seek immediate medical help for:
- Sudden or severe shortness of breath.
- Difficulty breathing at rest.
- Blue or grey lips.
- Breathlessness associated with chest pain or fainting.
- Sudden breathlessness with coughing up blood.
These symptoms may indicate serious lung or heart problems, including a pulmonary embolism.
Severe Bleeding
Seek emergency treatment for:
- Bleeding that does not stop with firm, direct pressure.
- Vomiting blood.
- Passing black, tarry stools or significant amounts of fresh blood.
- Coughing up significant amounts of blood.
- Severe bleeding following an injury.
- Severe headache, confusion, or weakness in someone with a very low platelet count.
Patients taking blood thinners or those with bleeding disorders should be particularly cautious.
Loss of Consciousness or Seizures
Emergency assessment is necessary for:
- Sudden collapse or loss of consciousness.
- A seizure lasting five minutes or longer.
- Repeated seizures without full recovery.
- A first-ever seizure.
- Persistent confusion or difficulty waking someone.
- A seizure associated with injury or breathing difficulties.
Other Serious Warning Signs
Seek immediate help for:
- Severe or rapidly worsening abdominal pain.
- Sudden, severe back pain with weakness or loss of bladder or bowel control.
- Severe allergic reactions involving swelling of the tongue or throat, breathing difficulties, or collapse.
- Serious injuries or head injuries with concerning symptoms.
- Suspected poisoning or overdose.
- Sudden, severe deterioration in your general condition.
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- Special Warning Signs for Patients with Blood Disorders or Cancer
Patients receiving chemotherapy, immunosuppressive treatment, or treatment for blood cancers may develop serious complications that require immediate attention.
Some complications can progress rapidly, even when the initial symptoms appear mild.
Fever During Chemotherapy
🚨 IMPORTANT: FEVER DURING CHEMOTHERAPY
A temperature of 38°C or higher during chemotherapy, or when your white blood cell count may be low, requires urgent medical assessment.
This may indicate neutropenic fever or a serious infection.
Do not wait until the next morning or your next clinic appointment.
Seek urgent assessment even if you otherwise feel relatively well.
Serious infections can occasionally occur without fever, especially in patients with weakened immune systems.
Shivering, rigors, confusion, breathlessness, or feeling suddenly very unwell should also prompt immediate assessment.
Unusual Bleeding or Bruising
Seek urgent medical attention for:
- Persistent nosebleeds or gum bleeding.
- Blood in the urine or stools.
- Extensive or rapidly developing bruising.
- Numerous new red or purple spots on the skin, particularly with fever or other bleeding.
- Severe headache or neurological symptoms in patients with low platelets.
Possible Blood Clots
Blood disorders and some cancer treatments increase the risk of thrombosis.
Warning signs include:
- Sudden chest pain or breathlessness.
- Coughing up blood.
- A painful, swollen leg, particularly if swelling affects only one side.
Sudden chest pain or breathlessness requires emergency assessment.
New one-sided leg swelling or pain requires urgent same-day assessment.
Patients Following Bone Marrow or Stem Cell Transplantation
Patients who have undergone a bone marrow or stem cell transplant should seek urgent medical advice or assessment for:
- Fever of 38°C or higher.
- Shivering or rigors.
- New breathlessness.
- Severe diarrhoea or vomiting.
- Inability to drink or take essential medication.
- A rapidly spreading rash, especially with fever or other symptoms.
- Confusion, severe weakness, or sudden deterioration.
Patients taking immunosuppressive medications are particularly vulnerable to serious infections.
Do not delay seeking emergency care while waiting to contact your transplant team.
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- Where Should You Go in an Emergency?
Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC)
24-Hour Emergency Department
No. 1, Jalan SS12/1A 47500 Subang Jaya Selangor, Malaysia
Emergency Department: Open 24 hours, including weekends and public holidays.
Emergency contact: 019-9000 330
Other Emergency Department numbers:
- 03-5639 1213
- 03-5639 1233
- 03-5639 1848
Visit the SJMC Emergency Department website
Get directions to SJMC using Google Maps
If You Are Outside Subang Jaya
Go to the nearest appropriate hospital Emergency Department.
You do not need to travel to SJMC if another hospital can provide emergency care more quickly.
For life-threatening symptoms, call 999 and follow the emergency dispatcher’s instructions.
Do not delay emergency treatment to reach a particular hospital or doctor.
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- What Should You Bring to the Emergency Department?
If readily available, bring:
- Your identification card or passport.
- A list of your current medications.
- Information about medication allergies.
- Your latest medical reports or discharge summary.
- Your chemotherapy or treatment details.
- Your medical insurance information, if applicable.
If you have a blood disorder or cancer, inform the Emergency Department staff immediately.
Tell them if you are receiving chemotherapy, have recently undergone a stem cell transplant, or are taking immunosuppressive medication.
Do not delay seeking emergency care to collect documents or wait for insurance approval.
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- When Is It Appropriate to Use the Patient Portal or Telemedicine?
The Patient Portal and Telemedicine services are intended for non-emergency medical matters.
Examples include:
- Routine follow-up questions.
- Clarification of medications or treatment instructions.
- Discussion of non-urgent laboratory results.
- Follow-up arrangements.
- Questions about stable, ongoing medical conditions.
- Administrative enquiries.
Important Limitations
These services are not continuously monitored.
Responses may be delayed due to clinic commitments, procedures, weekends, public holidays, or other circumstances.
Submitting a message does not mean it has been read or that a doctor is monitoring your condition.
If your symptoms worsen while waiting for a response, seek appropriate medical assessment without delay.
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- What If You Are Unsure Whether It Is an Emergency?
Not every symptom is an emergency, but some serious illnesses begin with relatively mild symptoms.
Ask yourself:
- Is the symptom sudden, severe, or rapidly worsening?
- Am I having difficulty breathing, chest pain, severe bleeding, or neurological symptoms?
- Am I receiving chemotherapy or immunosuppressive treatment and have developed a fever?
- Do I feel significantly more unwell than usual?
If the answer is yes, seek urgent medical assessment.
For symptoms that are not immediately life-threatening but still concerning, arrange a prompt in-person medical review.
When in doubt, do not rely on online messaging to determine whether it is safe to wait.
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Important Notice
The Patient Portal, Telemedicine service, WhatsApp, and other electronic communication channels provided by Dr Alan Teh do not provide emergency medical care or continuous monitoring.
They must not be used to report symptoms requiring immediate medical assessment.
Dr Alan Teh and his clinic cannot guarantee an immediate response to electronic communications.
For medical emergencies, call 999 or proceed directly to the nearest appropriate Emergency Department.
Do not delay emergency treatment while waiting for an online reply.
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This information is intended for general patient education. It is not a complete list of medical emergencies and does not replace assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.