Urgent Care vs. Emergency Room
If you believe your life is at risk then call 911 or go to the Emergency Room; however, urgent care can typically handle all non-life threatening medical issues. The benefits of urgent care over the emergency room typically include lower overall cost, lower co-pays, closer to home, and much shorter wait times.
Below are some conditions and guidance when one should visit the ER or Urgent Care:
Urgent Care
Emergency Room
- Allergic reactions (minor)
- Allergies (seasonal)
- Animal, insect, or spider bite (minor)
- Asthma attack (minor)
- Back pain or strains
- Broken bone (bone not sticking out of skin)
- Burn (small)
- Common colds and coughing
- COVID-19 PCR or rapid antigen testing
- COVID-19 treatment for mild to moderate cases
- Cuts / lacerations (minor) and stitches removal
- Dehydration, not drinking and eating
- Dental pain
- Dizziness, weakness or loss of coordination or balance
- Earache
- Ear wax removal
- Eye problems (pink eye, eye irritation, styes)
- Flu (influenza)
- Foreign object removal
- Headaches and migraines
- Head injury (without passing out)
- Hemorrhoids
- Immunizations
- Incision and drainage; abscess
- Injuries (falls, sprains, minor concussions, fingernail/toenail, work-related)
- Medication refills (non-narcotic)
- Pregnancy test
- Rash
- Skin problems (eczema/dry skin, poison ivy/poison oak, infections)
- Sinus infections
- Sore throat / Strep
- Sprain or strain
- Stomach pain (minor)
- Urinary tract infection
- Allergic reactions (severe)
- Animal bite (severe)
- Asthma attack (severe)
- Bleeding that won’t stop
- Broken bone (bone sticking out of skin)
- Burn (large)
- Chest pain or severe chest pressure
- Coughing or vomiting blood
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Fainting
- Fever not related to the common cold or flu (infants younger than 8 months old)
- Headache — sudden and severe; chronic migraines
- Pregnancy-related issues (pain, bleeding)
- Rash with fever
- Seizure
- Stomach pain (major)
- Swallowed object