Should You Head For The Er Or A Medical Clinic?

It is late on a Saturday afternoon and a health issue has arisen. You know that you require medical attention and it cannot wait until you doctor is in on Monday morning. Where do you go then- should you go to a medical clinic such as the urgent care center in your area or should you head straight for the emergency room at the hospital? The answer is not that simple. It depends on a variety of things.

Most family physicians have a doctor on call during off hours. The first thing you should do is to call your doctor's office and let him or her know what has happened and what your symptoms are. Based on the severity or lack of severity of the situation he may tell you to come into the office right away or he may tell you to go to the medical center. On the other hand he may tell you that your situation necessitates a trip to the emergency room without delay.

If your primary care physician does not have a doctor on call that you can speak to or see then based on what you are going through you should choose between going to an urgent care center or the emergency department. If the symptoms are not that serious then a medical clinic (a.k.a. an urgent care center) could treat your symptoms effectively. However if what you are suffering is very serious, such as an injury or a sickness that is causing dramatic symptoms that are affecting your ability to function and/or are causing you tremendous pain and discomfort then the hospital emergency room is the direction you should point yourself in. You want to choose the location that can provide you with the care level that is most on course with your current medical state.

A medical clinic or urgent care center is geared to treating patients who need attention right away but who do not show symptoms that require a trip to the ER. Some of the conditions that can be adequately treated at an urgent care center include infections such as respiratory infections or bladder infections, sprains as well as strains, colds, coughs and sore throats, minor cuts with only a small amount of bleeding and skin problems such as rashes. Minor injuries can also be treated at a medical clinic as can fevers and symptoms of the flu.

The majority of urgent care centers offer extended hours which makes them convenient places to go to for medical assistance. Many offer evening hours as well as weekend hours and appointments are on a walk-in basis. It is good to find a medical clinic where you do not have to call ahead but can just show up when you need to see a doctor. In most cases you should be seen by a physician in 30 minutes or less.

If your symptoms are serious then you should forego a visit to the medical clinic and instead go immediately to the emergency department. Most departments that attend to medical emergencies are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Examples of symptoms that you should go to the ER for include severe burns or abdominal pain, symptoms that you may be having a heart attack, such as shortness of breath or chest pains. Seizures or a loss of consciousness is another reason to go to the ER as is head trauma or fractures or profuse bleeding.

By: aardis

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