Health & Wellness: What’s the Difference Between Emergency and Urgent Care?

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What’s the Difference Between
Emergency and Urgent Care?

Daily Bread

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27

How to know whether an emergency room or a physician’s office or urgent care center is best

Hospital emergency rooms are filled with patients who suffer from colds, the flu and other ailments. Many people do not realize that for many illnesses, other treatment options are available. Physicians’ offices and urgent care centers, such as primary care clinics and minor medical centers, can treat many conditions, and some are open after normal business hours.

To decide whether an emergency room or a physician’s office or urgent care center is best, follow these tips.

Conditions that should be treated in an emergency room:

Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Uncontrollable bleeding
Major trauma

Conditions that can be treated in a physician’s office or urgent care center:

Cold
Flu
Sprains
Strains
Insect bites (Note: Any symptoms of anaphylactic shock, such as difficulty breathing or swollen tongue, should be treated in an emergency room.)
Rashes
Closed fractures below the knee and elbow (Note: If the broken bone comes through the skin, or if the fracture creates a lump, emergency room care is best.)
Simple cuts
Removal of superficial objects in the eye (if the substance is in the outer layer of the eye)
Most types of abdominal pain (Note: Emergency room care is best for people experiencing abdominal pain so severe they cannot take oral fluids.)
Respiratory infections
Sinusitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of a sinus)
Sore throats
Ear and eye conditions such as earache, drainage from the eye and pink eye
Simple asthma care, such as wheezing (Note: Emergency care is best for those who have difficulty breathing as a result of asthma.)

Emergency room personnel can treat any condition that can be treated by a physician or urgent care center, so if any condition develops after hours, the emergency room is the best option. Also, emergency room physicians and staff must treat the most serious injuries and illnesses first, so people who seek emergency room care for colds and flu may not be seen immediately.

When in doubt, go to an emergency room immediately. If time permits, call a physician to discuss symptoms. Physicians can help determine whether emergency or urgent care is best. Here are some other factors to consider when deciding whether to go to an emergency room or a physician or urgent care center.

Advantages of physicians’ offices and urgent care centers:

More familiarity with patients’ medical histories
Patients’ time of arrival, not the severity of their conditions, determines when they receive care.
More consistent treatment time

Advantages of emergency room care:

Expert, immediate care for serious illnesses and traumatic injuries
Will provide care regardless of patients’ ability to pay
Open 24 hours a day

Baptist Minor Medical Centers are located throughout Memphis and in DeSoto County, and provide urgent care for patients with a variety of injuries and ailments. They are open Monday through Friday, and some are open on weekends. No appointments are necessary.

Published: April 13, 2006

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