Should I visit an Emergency Room or an Urgent Care Center?
This is one of the most difficult questions to answer. Some illnesses require the immediate medical benefits of a hospital emergency room. However, in many cases, an Urgent Care facility is a quicker and often more cost efficient alternative. The lists below offer some guidance to what sort of treatment each type facilitates.
URGENT CARE:
• Injury or Illness you would visit your primary care physician for
• Non-severe abdominal pain
• Laceration or cut repair (stitches)
• Treatment of minor burns
• Cerumen (ear wax) impaction removal
• Drug testing
• School/work physicals
• Wart/skin tag removal
• Ingrown toenail treatment
• Travel immunizations
• Flu shots
• Sports injuries such as sprains
EMERGENCY ROOM:
• Chest pain with shortness of breath
• Severe burns
• Electrical shock
• Complications from pregnancy
• Altered mental states
• Seizure
• Poison ingestion
• Digit or extremity amputation
• Syncope or unconsciousness
• Major head injuries
IN CASE OF TRUE MEDICAL EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY!
