‘Should I go to the ER or urgent care?’: Ask a doctor

When you feel unwell and the symptoms worsen quickly, you know you need medical attention, but it is not always possible to make an appointment with your doctor on the same day. GP.

When a sudden and serious illness requires immediate care, the two most common options are a visit to an emergency room or going to a hospital emergency room – but how do you know which is best?

Fox News Digital spoke with multiple doctors to determine when an urgent care center is enough and when an emergency room visit is warranted.

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Urgent care centers provide immediate care healthcare services for walk-in patients, with typically extended hours and same-day availability.

According to Mayo Clinic, they can be considered a “middle ground” between a primary care physician and the emergency room.

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There are 10,728 active urgent care clinics in the U.S. as of this year, according to Definitive Healthcare in Massachusetts.

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Urgent care centers typically treat a broad spectrum of illnesses and injuries, and may have a treatment or procedure room to perform minor medical procedures such as sutures, casts, and low-risk surgery only under local anesthesia, according to the same source.

Other services may include basic laboratory and imaging tests, as well as referrals for additional treatment.

These centers may be staffed by physicians, nurses, physician assistants, nurses, and other medical professionals.

“If it’s after hours or on a weekend, some conditions can accelerate quite quickly and not wait until the next business day,” Mishi Jackson, MD, chief medical officer at Novant Health Union Cross Family Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, told me. Fox News digital.

“For example, a simple bladder infection can spread to the kidneys and bloodstream and cause poor outcomes.”

Jackson noted that not all urgent care centers offer the same services. She encourages patients to check in advance to see if the center they are visiting can help with their needs.

“For minor injuries or illnesses, an urgent care facility may be appropriate,” Matthew Shannon, MD, director of emergency medicine at University of Florida Health in Gainesville, Florida, told Fox News Digital.

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“Most patients are pretty good at determining what is something small versus something important.”

Below are some of the conditions that can typically be treated with emergency care, according to the Mayo Clinic website.

The Emergency Room is open 24/7 and is equipped to treat “life or limb-threatening health conditions,” Mayo Clinic noted, such as seizures, strokes, major bleeding, loss of consciousness, heart attack or other escalated medical crises.

The emergency room is equipped with critical care services and staff that an urgent care clinic does not have, including specialists in cardiology, neurology and orthopedics, the same source said.

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The ER will also have access to imaging and laboratory equipment that may not be available in emergency care.

Below are some types of conditions that warrant a trip to the emergency room, as listed on the Mayo Clinic website.

• Pain or pressure in the chest

• Compound fracture (bone protruding through the skin)

• Head injury

• Pneumonia

• To attack

• Severe abdominal pain

• Shortness of breath

• Suddenly, severe headacheor paralysis or weakness

• Uncontrolled bleeding

Other emergencies include high fever, fainting or the sudden onset of symptoms such as speech problems, confusion or reduced movement on one side of the body, Shannon said.

A patient who has been involved in a significant motor vehicle accident should also visit the emergency room.

Patients may experience emergency room wait times, Shannon noted.

“All patients presenting to emergency departments across the country are triaged according to a severity system medical history and vital signs,” he told Fox News Digital.

“Patients identified as ill are returned quickly so the medical team can begin their assessment,” he continued. “Trained emergency nursing staff and other health care providers assess you as a patient and provide primary care.”

“Your care really begins when you walk through the door and talk to a nurse.”

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If your condition is fairly mild, Shannon recommends visiting your doctor primary physicianeven if you have to wait a day.

“If you think you can wait, it’s certainly reasonable to try to arrange your primary care,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we do not appear to have enough primary care providers, and the demand for primary care continues to exceed supply.”

If any of the following apply, you should call 911 immediately, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians.

• Your condition is life-threatening and you need immediate medical attention

• You cannot move yourself or another person without causing additional damage

• You are unable to drive for physical or emotional reasons and need to be transported to a hospital emergency room

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Mayo Clinic recommends calling 911 “if you have difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, injury to your life or limb, or signs of stroke or heart attack.”

Original article source: ‘Should I go to the ER or urgent care?’: Ask a doctor