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According to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), an emergency is commonly defined as any condition percieved by the prudent layperson, or someone on his or her behalf, as requiring immediate medical or surgical evaluation and treatment.The practice of emergency medicine has the primary mission of evaluating, managing and providing treatment to these patients with unexpected injury or illness.

According to the curriculum of the College of Emergency Medicine (CEM) United Kingdom, Emergency medicine is a field of practice based on the knowledge and skills required for the prevention, diagnosis and management of the acute and urgent aspects of illness and injury affecting patients of all age groups with a full spectrum of undifferentiated physical and behavioural disorders. It is a specialty in which time is critical.

Emergency is defined by the perception of the patient or the attenders who bring the patient to the emergency department. What the emergency physician percieves may not be the same.

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The American Medical Association in 1975 defined the emergency physician as a physician trained to engage in -

The immediate intial recognition, evaluation, care and disposition of patients with acute illness and injury.

The administration, research and teaching of all aspects of emergency medical care.

The direction of the evaluated patient to sources of follow-up care, in or out of the hospital as may be required.

The provision when requested of emergency, but not continuing, care to in-hospital patients.

The management of the emergency medical system for the provision of prehospital emergency care.

Emergency medicine has evolved to include added responsibilites in the areas of

• Management of medical and administrative aspects of emergency services system.
• Disaster planning and management for both natural and man made events.
• Toxicology and Poison center development.
• Education of both medical students and personnel as well as common people.
• Preventive medicine.
• Basic and Clinical research, especially in resuscitation methods and acute interventions.

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(Definitions and references from the United States are used more often because they are the pioneers in emergency medicine.)