ER Or Urgent Care Clinic? Here’s How To Be Sure Where to Go

When you or a dear one is unexpectedly affected by a medical issue, what do you do? You either rush to the emergency room of a hospital or seek help at the nearest urgent care clinic. Right? But how do you decide where to go? Will an urgent care clinic be able to manage your minor fracture? Will you be kept waiting forever at the emergency room since the fracture may be considered too minor an issue?

You may have plenty of questions about which medical facility will be right for specific situations. Rather than simply heading on to any of the two facilities without a clear idea of what issues they treat, it is always best to take informed decisions.

So here is a quick look at when you MUST rush to an ER and which health issues are best treated at an urgent care center.

ER for serious illnesses

If your health issue is clearly a life-threatening one that demands immediate and advanced medical treatment at the earliest, ER is definitely the way to go. Doctors in Arlington VA emergency rooms offer excellent care and treatment for serious ailments and injuries that include:

· Stroke or severe chest pain

· Serious fractures

· Cuts with considerable blood loss

· Extensive burns

· Animal bites

· Serious head injury or spinal injury

· Vomiting blood

· Infants with fever that does not subside

· Uncontrollable bleeding

· Loss of consciousness following injury, accident or illness

Rushing to an ER during such life-threatening situations offers patients maximum chances of surviving the ordeal. Doctors in Arlington VA are specialized in emergency care and will immediately get patients started on necessary treatments and medications to stabilize them.

Urgent care clinics for non life-threatening issues

When you do require medical help but your condition is not life-threatening in any way, it would be best to seek medical attention at an urgent care clinic. This option is also a great way to ensure that you are not distracting resources and time away from patients in hospitals who actually require emergency care.

Here are some instances of medical issues that are best treated at a walk in clinic Arlington VA.

· Common cold, fever, flu, cough or sore throat

· Eye infections or minor eye injuries

· Joint pain, sprains or inflammation

· Moderate breathing issues such as asthmatic attacks, allergic reactions or respiratory infections

· Minor cuts with minimal bleeding but require stitches

· Nausea, vomiting, flatulence, diarrhea and other digestive issues

· Allergic outbreaks due to food, plants, insect bites or other reasons

· Itchiness or rashes

· Ear infections, ear pain or minor ear injuries

· Muscle pain, back ache or body pain

The above conditions require medical help but clearly do not fall under the ‘emergency’ category. Therefore doctors in Arlington VA urgent clinics will be able to prescribe necessary treatment to alleviate your medical problem and provide you immediate relief.

When faced with a medical issue, take a moment to consider the gravity of your situation. If things seem in control, a walk in clinic will be able to help you out.