ER or Urgent Care? Where should I go?
- Category: Health Education
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Healthcare is an ever-changing industry. With so many options for care – from office visits to virtual visits and urgent care clinics to emergency rooms – it can sometimes be overwhelming to decide where to go to meet your healthcare needs.
Consider this: Your child takes a nasty fall off their bike. You cut your hand while cooking dinner. Your spouse suddenly feels chest pains. Your teenager comes home complaining of a headache that won’t go away. Your mom’s dry cough has become more serious. With so many options – where do you go?
When it comes to immediate medical care, you must choose between the emergency room, the urgent care clinic, or your physician’s office. But when an emergency strikes or you do not feel your best, it can be an overwhelming choice.
First, let’s look at your options.
Emergency Rooms – Emergency rooms are the critical and emergency care part of a hospital. Emergency rooms are home to highly trained medical providers, specialists and nurses who are trained to provide fast-paced, life-saving care. Emergency rooms are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week – regardless of holidays. Because emergency rooms are usually one part of a larger hospital, providers can use additional treatment options, like imaging, labs, psychiatric resources, admitting and operating rooms to address emergency health needs.
Urgent Care Clinics – Urgent Care clinics are quick, walk-in clinics. Urgent care clinics are not substitutes for emergency rooms. Urgent care clinics address the need for acute medical care outside of regular physicians' hours and are usually open after business hours and on weekends and holidays. Urgent care clinics are also not substitutes for primary care. This is important to remember – when seeking medical care at these clinics, be sure to inform the medical staff of your relevant medical information, such as allergies and current medications.
Primary Care Offices – Primary care offices are your “go-to” doctor for all your medical needs. Primary care offices can provide care for acute illnesses and injuries. If your medical issue is not an emergency and your primary care office is open, consider going to your primary care office as a first option. Seeing a provider who has access to your entire medical history could be beneficial.
Use this helpful guide to decide which option would best suit your medical emergency:
Urgent Care or Primary Care | Emergency Room |
Minor cuts and burns | Chest pain |
Sprains and strains | Severe bleeding |
Rashes | Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath |
Vomiting and diarrhea | Facial drooping or weakness in legs/arms |
Back pain | Head trauma |
Urinary tract infections | Sudden confusion |
Cold and flu symptoms | Severe abdominal pain |
Headaches | Alcohol poisoning |
Upset stomachs | Major burns |
Pink eye | Difficulty speaking, slurred speech |
Earaches/sore throats | Exposure to dangerous chemicals or drugs |
Work excuses/medication refill | Seizures |
Cuts that might require stitches | Suicidal or homicidal feelings |
If you have a health emergency that needs timely attention, Lake Charles Memorial’s Emergency Room is home to the only Level II Trauma Center in the region. Click here to learn more about the emergency room. >>>
Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Emergency Physicians
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