Before urgent care became widely available, many people went to the emergency room (ER) for help with everyday illnesses and injuries. Now that urgent care is an option, regarding what separates the two and how to decide which service you should seek is confusing.
You may also wonder whether there are differences between urgent care centers because some are stand-alone clinics while others are associated with hospitals.
As experienced urgent care providers, David Leszkowitz, DO, and the skilled team at White Lake Family Medicine in White Lake, Michigan, frequently field questions about when health challenges need urgent care or emergency attention. Here, they explain the two levels of care.
Differences between urgent care centers
Regardless of the urgent care center location, they offer the same level of care and treat similar health problems.
Though some urgent care clinics associated with hospitals say they offer “ER-level care,” that doesn’t mean they provide emergency services. It means that you receive expert medical attention for non-emergency illnesses and injuries — just like the care you get from our team.
Urgent care or the emergency room
Urgent care treats injuries and illnesses that need prompt, same-day medical attention. This level of care covers the full range of acute (sudden) and chronic (long-lasting) conditions affecting children, teens, and adults.
The emergency room (ER) offers the next level of intensive care, treating severe illnesses and injuries that may cause physical harm, disability, or death. Your local ER has the specialists and technology needed for advanced diagnostics, surgery, and other life-saving treatments.
If you don’t have a serious or life-threatening emergency, you may wait long before getting help in the ER. That’s because they prioritize patients with the most pressing health emergency.
You can walk into our urgent care clinic or call ahead and schedule a same-day appointment. Either way, you won’t wait long to see our caring providers.
Conditions treated through urgent care
Our urgent care services treat nearly every condition you and your family might face that needs prompt treatment. Health conditions we frequently treat through urgent care include:
- Coughs
- Colds and flu
- Sore throats
- Ear infections
- Pink eye
- Asthma
- Allergies
- COPD flares
- Sinus infections
- Skin rashes
- Minor burns
- Sprains and strains
- Minor wounds (cuts and scrapes)
- Small wounds needing stitches
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Urinary tract infections
- Migraines and severe headaches
This list is far from comprehensive but highlights the conditions that are a good fit for urgent care. If you’re not sure about the level of care you need, call us. After we learn a few details about your symptoms, we can quickly let you know if you need the ER.
Conditions needing emergency care
Conditions that need emergency care include severe pain, an illness that keeps you down, or a serious injury. As a general guideline, you should consider the ER for conditions such as:
- Choking
- Sudden, severe pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Fractures
- Severe burns
- Heavy bleeding
- Electric shock
- Neck or spine injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Fever with a stiff neck, neck pain, severe headache, or skin rash
- Heart attacks (check pain, difficulty breathing, dizziness, and jaw, back, or arm pain)
- Strokes (difficulty speaking, dropping on one side of the face, weakness in one arm)
- Severe allergic reaction (difficulty breathing, swollen tongue and throat, fainting)
- Seizures lasting more than a few minutes
Don’t hesitate to call 911 if the condition is life-threatening. Emergency medical technicians can begin immediate, life-saving treatments.
You should also call 911 in certain situations, such as when you can’t manage the emergency and drive, moving the person may cause further harm, or you’re too sick to drive.
At White Lake Family Medicine, you can depend on exceptional care if you need urgent care. Walk in or call the office to schedule a prompt appointment.
