Emergency rooms (ER) and urgent care centers are both designed to treat you when you’re sick or hurt, but how do you know when to go which one? With emergency and urgent in the names, both imply the need for immediate attention, which can be confusing. In this article, we’ll help you learn when to go to the emergency room vs. urgent care for the best possible experience.
What’s the Difference Between Emergency Rooms and Urgent Care Centers?
Emergency rooms, like our Emergency Department at RMC, are attached to hospitals and designed to treat all manner of life-threatening conditions. They’re open 24/7 with access to doctors, nurses, and support staff who can handle complex medical emergencies, including heart attacks, strokes, stitches, seizures, etc.
ERs can have long wait times as staff assesses each patient and determines the order in which they need care. In addition to patients coming in on their own, they also accept patients delivered via ambulance and first responders.
Urgent care centers, like the one we’re in the process of transitioning at our Stringfellow Campus, bridge the gap between emergency rooms and your primary care provider by treating urgent but non-life-threatening conditions that need attention as soon as possible. Many are open on the weekend and have extended weekday hours, making them a convenient alternative when you have an urgent medical need outside your primary care provider’s office hours.
With access to X-rays, labs, and other diagnostic services, the physicians, nurses, and staff at urgent care centers can handle most urgent situations as long as the patient doesn’t need more extensive care, such as surgery or a diagnosis from a specialist.
When to Go to Emergency Room vs. Urgent Care
So, how do you know when to go to emergency room vs. urgent care? That depends on your symptoms. Let’s discuss severe vs. mild conditions that would determine the level of care necessary.
Signs You Should Visit the Emergency Room
You should go to the ER if you’re experiencing a life or limb-threatening situation. This includes heart attack, broken bones, strokes, as well as:
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Severe dizziness
- Slurred speech
- Bone fractures
- Vision problems
- Uncontrollable bleeding
- Large cuts requiring stitches or sutures
- Vaginal bleeding while pregnant
- Head trauma (concussion)
- Burns with blisters
- Weakness or numbness on one side of your body
- Drug overdose
Signs You Should Visit Urgent Care
In the case you need to be seen right away, but it may not necessarily be an emergency, you should visit urgent care. Urgent care can treat non-severe emergencies like:
- Sprain or joint pain
- Cuts and minor burns
- Back and muscle pain
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Earache
- Rash
- Upper respiratory infection
- Urinary tract infection
- Fever under 103 degrees Fahrenheit
- Abdominal pain
- Dehydration
- Moderate flu-like symptoms
Get Expert Care at RMC for All Levels of Emergencies
If you have a medical emergency, the most important thing to do is try not to panic. If you have the mental capacity to determine when to go to the emergency room vs. urgent care, that’s great! If not, don’t hesitate to call 911 to speak with a first responder or go where you deem most appropriate. The most important thing is to get medical attention as soon as possible.
In the RMC Health System, we can manage all levels of emergencies between our two campuses: RMC Anniston and Stringfellow Campus of Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center. Find a doctor or receive immediate care with us today!