When to Go to the ER or Urgent Care

When you are sick or injured and need medical care, it’s helpful to know in advance where to go for the best care.

When you are sick or injured and need medical care, it’s helpful to know in advance where to go for the best care if your primary care provider is unavailable or you don't have one. The typical options are the Emergency Room and Urgent Care Centers.

Emergency rooms are open 24 hours a day and are equipped to provide medical care for every type of illness or injury, but they are not usually the best option for seeking medical attention unless your illness or injury is severe or life-threatening.

Urgent care centers are often open longer hours than your local doctor’s office and take walk-ins, so they may be a good option if you can’t get in to see your regular doctor quickly.

Using an emergency room for situations where that level of medical attention is not needed is the most expensive and time-consuming option. In fact, it can sometimes take hours to be seen in a hospital emergency room if your illness or injury is not serious. Additionally, non-urgent patients make it harder for healthcare professionals in the hospital to attend to the most critically ill patients.

Below is a list of symptoms, illnesses, and injuries that are commonly treated at an Urgent Care Center and at the Emergency Room. Knowing when to go to the emergency room and when it’s best to go to an urgent care center or see your regular doctor can help you avoid unnecessary expenses and long wait times.

Urgent Care Centers

Urgent care centers are a good option when you can’t get in to see your regular doctor quickly enough but need medical care for non-life-threatening conditions. If you have these symptoms, you can see your regular doctor or go to an urgent care center to receive medical attention:

• Fever
• Headache/muscle aches
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Ear/sinus pain
• Rashes
• Urinary tract infections
• Minor allergic reactions or asthma attacks
• Minor cuts, wounds or burns
• Minor eye irritation
• Minor orthopedic injuries

Emergency Room

The emergency room should not be used when you have minor illnesses or injuries that can be treated effectively by your regular doctor or an urgent care center. However, if you are experiencing serious or life-threatening symptoms, illnesses or injuries, the emergency room of the closest hospital is the best place to be.

Go to the hospital if you have these symptoms, illnesses, or injuries:

• Possible heart attack (pain, pressure or tightness in chest, arm, jaw, neck or back)
• Possible stroke (numbness on one side of face, arm or leg; difficulty speaking; confusion)
• High fever with stiff neck, mental confusion or difficulty breathing
• Head injuries
• Wounds that won’t stop bleeding
• Poisoning or overdose of alcohol or drugs
• Severe burns
• Orthopedic injuries causing severe pain
• Severe shortness of breath or trouble breathing
• Severe abdominal pain
• Coughing up or vomiting blood
• Severe vomiting, diarrhea or dehydration

If you need to go to the ER, someone should drive you (don’t drive yourself). Depending on your symptoms, calling 911 may be a better option because you can receive medical care along the way, if needed.

Chances are that sometime in the new year, you or someone you care for will need medical attention of some kind. Knowing when and where to get the right care at the right time and at the right place is the best way to ensure timely, cost efficient, and beneficial medical care for yourself and for those you care about.