Urgent Care Vs. Emergency Room, Where Should I Go?
When one is taken ill or injured over after hours, they are left with only two options to choose from. They can either go to an emergency room or visit an urgent care center. Making the right decision on which of the two rooms to visit is not always easy, but getting it right helps one save substantial sums of money and time. So, how do you know when t visit the ER or Urgent Care? We delve into this in this article.
What Is The Difference Between ER and Urgent Care?
An emergency room, also known as the accident & emergency department, is a section of a healthcare facility that is equipped and staffed for treatment of patients in need of immediate medical care for life-threatening situations. Urgent care, on the other hand, offers medical care for people with urgent but not life-threatening problems.
Urgent care centers have basic lab testing, X-ray machines, and equipment for minor procedures. However, for more in-depth diagnostic testing and medication with access to specialists, the emergency room is the door that one should knock-on. North Texas Medical Center (NTMC) is a special facility that has managed to have an emergency & urgent care department combination, specializing in trauma, cardiac, and women’s services.
In terms of affordability, urgent care often costs less compared to emergency room charges. Since the urgent care centers do not have specialists or much equipment as found in an emergency department, their cost of providing care is less.
Emergency rooms normally prioritize life-threatening health problems at the expense of other minor medical conditions, and one with a non-threatening condition might find themselves waiting in line for hours to see the doctor. At urgent care, the doctor still sees you a lot faster, even when your condition is minor and not life-threatening.
The other major difference is that while emergency rooms remain open 24/7, many urgent care centers close operations late in the night. So should a medical emergency occur late in the night, serious or mild, your best bet and the ideal option would be the room.
Which Should I Go to for Immunizations?
Every person requires vaccinations at some point in life, be it government policy, school requirements, or personal health measures. Immunization techniques help improve the quality of life by keeping serious infections and their spread at bay.
It is important to remember that immunizations are usually scheduled or require prior planning, as they are not an emergency. They are, therefore, not recommended or the ER as they will not be treated as a priority since they are not urgent, and most emergency rooms are bust and expensive too. Most people prefer the urgent care option for immunizations, where it will be done fast since the kind of care they offer is limited and specific. Some centers offer specific immunizations, like those for travel, and will be more convenient for travelers.
Should I Go to the ER or Urgent Care During Flu Season?
The flu season will have most people, even the healthy ones, get infected, and flood health facilities for treatment. Those with mild illness do not necessarily require any medical care but should consider avoiding contact and staying at home to avoid infecting others. However, if the flu symptoms are moderate and have these symptoms: high fever, sore throat or cough, congestion, body aches, loss of appetite, and exhaustion, you should visit an urgent care clinic.
Suppose the flu symptoms become severe, and you start experiencing complications of severe chest pain, persistent vomiting, fever with rash, confusion, difficulties in breathing. In that case, you should visit the emergency room urgently. This is especially so for high-risk people like infants and toddlers, older people over 65 years, pregnant women, those with suppressed immune systems, and those with chronic illnesses.
What Should You Not Go to the Emergency Room for?
The emergency room is meant to handle life-threatening emergencies and a priority. So, if you suffer from mild or non-threatening injuries and illness like sprains and strains, small cuts, common cold or flu, fevers without a rash, vomiting or diarrhea, dehydration, headaches, cough, sneezing, chills, or in need of after-hour care, you do not need to go to the emergency room. Instead, urgent care would be best suited for such cases.
Which Should I Go to for Covid-19 Testing?
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the way people interact and go about their daily lives, with the provision of medical care services greatly affected. Health care facilities, hospitals, and clinics alike have had to prepare and have safety measures in place to handle both health emergencies and the coronavirus cases without risking the lives of other patients or that of the medical practitioners.
However, the covid-19 test kits are not available in all health facilities, and there is a general shortage of kits, which is a concern. NTMC has actively engaged with Cooke County, MMH, and the City of Gainesville, and set up a COVID-19 drive through the testing tent. Those eligible for testing are supposed to strictly schedule an appointment to have their samples taken for testing. After testing, they are expected to self-quarantine until their results come out.
People eligible for testing have the symptoms, those who have had close contact with an infected person, and those referred to do the test by a healthcare provider. One can test from both the urgent care and emergency rooms, although they are being advised to avoid the emergency room and test elsewhere if their condition is not critical.