What is the difference between urgent care and emergency care?
Urgent Care: Urgent care is the treatment of a condition that requires prompt attention, but does not pose an immediate serious health threat. Examples would be flu, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, burning when you urinate, blood in your urine, or a sprained ankle. Emergency Care: A life-threatening emergency is the sudden onset of a condition that requires immediate medical attention to prevent death or permanent injury. Some examples that require emergency care are heart attack, stroke, unstoppable bleeding or convulsions.
Urgent care is needed when you have an illness or an accident. You get urgent care when your problem is serious but you could wait one day to see your doctor. Urgent care problems do not cause permanent harm or death. For urgent care call our doctor. If you have a health plan you may have urgent care clinics which are open after normal office hours and weekends. Exampes of urgent care: • sprain • earache • bad cough or high fever • vomiting a lot • stitches Click here for a list of Urgent Care Locations. For emergency care, use the hospital emergency room that is closest to you. Use emergency care when you have a serious medical problem that can’t wait. In such cases, waiting could mean permanent harm or death. You don’t have to call your doctor first. But if your doctor or health plan tells you to go the emergency room go as soon as possible. Your doctor may provide any follow up care. Examples of emergency care: • heavy bleeding • chest pain • trouble breathing • bad burns • broken b
