Health-Care Decisions - Urgent Care or Emergency?

Urgent Care or Emergency?

In a life-threatening situation, a call to 911 or a visit to an emergency room is always your best choice.
But for minor illnesses at times when you can’t see your own doctor, like weekends or evenings, an urgent care clinic or a call to a nurse hotline can give you the care you need, as well as save you time and the high costs of an ER visit.
Research the urgent care options available on your health plan. These guidelines can help you decide if you or someone else needs emergency attention:

Emergency Room or 911

• Chest pain with shortness of breath and/or sweating
• Difficulty breathing
• Uncontrollable bleeding
• Trauma or head injury
• Sudden dizziness, difficulty seeing, slurred speech, confusion, numbness, or paralysis
• Unconsciousness
• Poisoning
• Severe injury, burns, or electrical shock
• Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy

Urgent Care

• Sore throats, coughs, congestion, fever, and other flu or cold symptoms
• Cuts that require stitches
• Mild or moderate asthma attacks
• Earaches and eye or skin infections*
• Insect bites or rashes
• Urinary tract infections
• Sprains, strains, deep bruises
• Diarrhea*
• Pregnancy tests and physical exams
*Editor’s note: If these symptoms seem severe, consider them an emergency.

Sources: Duke University; Valley Voices, Winter 2008, published by Valley Medical Center, Renton, WA

Questions? Call Community Health & Education at 248-652-5269.