When to Visit an Urgent Care Clinic vs the ER

When to Visit an Urgent Care Clinic vs the ER

A female runner sitting on the ground with a hurt knee being helped by her male friend

When you get into an accident, the most important thing is to know where you should get emergency medical care. Some injuries require a visit to the urgent care clinic, while some require that you visit the ER.

Statistics show that 22% of patients who choose urgent care clinics over the ER and other medical centers usually base their decision on the assumption that urgent care centers have shorter waiting periods. On the other hand, the other 21% do so because urgent care clinics are conveniently located.

In this article, we look at the factors that contribute to your decision to visit one or the other.

The ER is For Life-Threatening Conditions

It is advisable to visit the ER when there are life-threatening conditions. These include heart attack symptoms and car accident injuries. For such situations, you must not go to an urgent care clinic.

The difference between the ER and an urgent care clinic lies in the types of problems they are equipped to handle. Below is a list of problems that will need you to visit the ER.

  • Loss of consciousness
  • Symptom of a heart attack
  • Symptoms of stroke
  • Head injury and severe trauma
  • Difficulties in breathing
  • Severe bleeding

When to Visit an Urgent Care Clinic

Urgent care clinics are meant to deal with minor injuries that are not life-threatening. As a result, you might not have to stay long when you visit one. There are certain procedures that they will carry out, like X-rays and stitching cuts, and animal bites.

Below are some of the conditions that you can take to an emergency care clinic:

  • Sprained Ankles
  • Minor chemical burns or irritation
  • Animal bites
  • Cuts
  • Broken bones
  • High fever
  • Sinus Pain
  • Minor headaches
  • Sporting injuries,
  • Vomiting and diarrhea.

The tips above will help you understand when you should visit either the ER or an emergency care clinic. It is advisable to keep the name and contact details of your nearest urgent care clinic or ER on your mobile phone so that you can quickly contact them whenever there is an emergency. You can also paste the information somewhere where it will be easy to find in the house, like a refrigerator.

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