noodgeval

Noodgeval is a Dutch noun meaning an emergency or urgent case that requires immediate action. It is commonly used in medical contexts to refer to patients or situations needing rapid assessment and treatment, such as admission to an emergency department, as well as in everyday language to describe time-sensitive issues.

The word is formed from nood, meaning emergency or distress, and geval, meaning case or occurrence. The term is widely used in the Netherlands and in Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium (Flanders). In English contexts it is usually translated as emergency or urgent case, with the nuance of a specific incident rather than a broad state.

In hospital settings, noodgeval is often contrasted with planned or elective care, and it aligns with triage procedures and around-the-clock services. Outside medicine, the term can also describe urgent problems that demand prompt attention, such as a noodgeval in the workplace or at home. It is typically employed to signal that normal procedures should be bypassed in favor of immediate response.

Noodtoestand or noodsituatie are related terms that describe broader or ongoing emergencies at a public or societal level, whereas noodgeval refers more to an individual incident or case that requires urgent handling. Overall, noodgeval is a standard Dutch expression used to denote a pressing, time-sensitive situation.