When to Go to Urgent Care vs. the Emergency Room

When you’re dealing with an illness or a sudden injury, it’s not always obvious where you should go for care. 

Maybe you accidentally cut your hand while slicing vegetables but the wound isn’t that deep. Or maybe what seemed like a mild cold just keeps on getting worse. Does it warrant a trip to an urgent care clinic, or should you go to the ER? 

Knowing the difference between the types of illnesses and injuries that can be treated at urgent care vs. the emergency room can help you make the right decision.

Urgent Care vs. Emergency Room: Key Differences

• Urgent care clinics are designed to handle non-life-threatening medical issues that require immediate attention, while the ER treats potentially life-threatening emergencies.
• Emergency rooms prioritize the most severe cases, so you may have to wait to receive care, depending on your emergency. Urgent care clinics operate on a first-come, first-served basis, which typically means shorter wait times.
• The emergency room is open 24/7, while urgent care has limited hours. However, most urgent care clinics do have evening and weekend hours. 
• Urgent care visits are generally less expensive than ER visits. A trip to the ER often involves higher fees due to the extensive resources and specialized staff available.   

When to Go to Urgent Care

Urgent care clinics treat non-life-threatening emergencies, such as minor injuries, illnesses, and infections. Urgent care clinics typically offer walk-in appointments as well as on-site labs and x-rays. Here are some examples of conditions that urgent care clinics can treat.  

Minor Illnesses

• Cold and flu symptoms
• Sore throat
• Ear infections
• Fever (in adults and children over 3 months old)
• Sinus infections

Minor Injuries

• Sprains and strains
• Minor fractures (like a broken finger or toe)
• Cuts that require stitches but are not bleeding profusely
• Minor burns
• Bug bites and minor animal bites or scratches

Other Health Concerns

• Non-life-threatening allergic reactions
• Mild asthma
• Skin rashes or infections
• Urinary tract infections
• Vomiting or diarrhea (in cases of severe dehydration, go to the ER instead)

When to Go to the Emergency Room

Go to the ER if your emergency is potentially life-threatening or could lead to disability. 

Call 911 if the condition is life-threatening, if you are unable to move, or if you are physically or emotionally unable to transport yourself to the ER.

Emergency rooms treat severe illnesses and injuries and are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are the best place to go under any of the following conditions.

Severe Illnesses

• Chest pain or pressure (or other heart attack symptoms)
• Difficulty breathing
• Sudden, severe headache
• Vision problems
• Seizures or loss of consciousness
• High fever in infants under 3 months old

Severe Injuries

• Major fractures, such as a broken leg
• Severe burns
• Deep wounds
• Heavy bleeding
• Head, neck, or back trauma

Other Critical Conditions

• Stroke (sudden numbness, confusion, difficulty speaking)
• Severe allergic reactions (swelling, difficulty breathing, hives)
• Severe abdominal pain
• Heat stroke
• Poisoning or drug overdose

Urgent Care Clinic in Corsicana, Texas

If you’re experiencing a non-life-threatening emergency, choose Total Point Urgent Care in Corsicana—or find a convenient location near you. We provide immediate and affordable medical care for patients throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. With low costs and short wait times, we’ll make sure your visit goes as smoothly as possible. 

 

Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (8/1/2024). Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels