Should I visit an Emergency Room or an Urgent Care?
This is one of the most difficult questions to answer. Some illnesses require immediate medical benefits of a hospital emergency room, 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
- Non severe abdominal pain
- Laceration or cut repair (stitches)
- Treatment of minor burns or skin irritations
- 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 or strains
- Mild to Moderate Asthma attacks
- Upper respiratory illness
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