Urgent & Emergency Care (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between emergency and urgent care? ›

Urgent care centers are not a substitute for emergency care as they don't have the same equipment or trained staff that emergency departments have, but they can be a solid option for minor injuries or illnesses or if your doctor's office is closed. Urgent care centers do not have a federal mandate to treat patients.

The ER should be your first choice if an injury or illness appears severe or life-threatening. And if your condition isn't an emergency but you can't wait until the next day, that's when you should visit an urgent care center.

ERs generally see a decline in patient visits during the early morning hours. Furthermore, weekends, in contrast to popular belief, also tend to be less crowded. If your condition is not life-threatening but still requires immediate medical attention, considering these off-peak hours might be beneficial.

In general, you should seek immediate medical care if you experience lower back pain that: Comes on suddenly and severely. Develops after a traumatic injury, such as a car accident. Is accompanied by other red-flag symptoms.

Urgent care clinics are not equipped to handle life-threatening emergencies, such as heart attacks, strokes, or severe traumas. In these cases, immediate treatment provided at a hospital emergency room can be life-saving.

Be specific: Describe your symptoms in detail. Instead of saying “I feel sick,” explain the specific symptoms you are experiencing, such as nausea, dizziness, or chest pain. This will help the medical staff understand the urgency of your situation. Use descriptive language: Paint a vivid picture of your symptoms.

You may also have arm weakness. Many things can cause numbness in the arm, from sleeping on it wrong to having a heart attack. Treatment varies widely depending on the cause. Seek immediate medical attention if you have numbness plus any other serious symptoms.

Your urgent care doctor will examine your skin infection or abscess. If you have an abscess, your doctor will also need to incise and drain your abscess in the office. This process is much less painful than allowing it to happen naturally, and the pus must leave your body.

The ER cares for the sickest and most severely injured people first. If the nurse asks you to wait, let the nurse know if your symptoms or condition get worse. Once you are seen by the ER doctor, they may need to run more tests to determine your needs.

What is the busiest day of the week in the ER? ›

Monday, in particular, tends to be the busiest day of the week in the ER. A potential explanation could be that patients who fall ill over the weekend but avoid the ER due to perceived busyness, will often decide to seek care at the start of the work week.

Saturday & Sunday: Despite the common misconception that the weekend would be the busiest time at the ER due to accidents and injuries, these days actually tend to be quieter. This could be due to more primary care offices being open during the week, leading people to seek care there instead of at the ER.

Back pain caused by the muscles is more localized in one location and may only hurt when you're in a specific physical position or when you move in a certain way. If the back pain is severe, then pain may extend to muscles in the buttocks or hips.

A patient suffering from acute cauda Equina Syndrome will likely need surgery as an immediate emergency. To relieve pressure on the spine nerves, the goal is to restore sensation to the bladder, bowel, legs and muscles. Depending on the cause of the problem, one of these surgeries may be performed.

Differences between Emergency and Urgent Appointments

An emergency appointment is reserved for life-threatening conditions that require immediate attention, while an urgent appointment is for non-life-threatening conditions that still require prompt care but can wait for a short period of time.

Serious burns or cuts that won't stop bleeding or close. Severe allergic reaction. Severe cold or flu symptoms. Shortness of breath. Stroke symptoms like slurred speech, numbness on one side, facial droop, or vision loss.

In urgent surgery we can wait until the patient's health is unwavering but it has to be performed in 1-2 days. But emergency surgery needs to be performed without any impediment otherwise there will be colossal risk to patient's life.”

If you've been diagnosed with pneumonia, continue to monitor your symptoms. You should go directly to the emergency room if you experience any of the following symptoms: Difficulty breathing, especially when you're at rest. Coughing up blood.