Life will sometimes throw you a curve ball you weren?t expecting. These changes happen without warning, known as injuries. When you?re injured, it is common to feel panicked and stunned. Being prepared is one of the best things to do for the next time an injury occurs. Here is more information about injuries treated in the ER versus an urgent care facility.
Research shows that about 3 million people a week visit urgent care facilities. There are a wide variety of illnesses and injuries that are treated at an urgent care location. If you are experiencing common sickness symptoms including a sore throat, runny nose, and itchy eyes, you can visit an urgent care facility. In most cases, fevers are treated by urgent care staff. If your situation is not life threatening, chances are, it can be taken care of at an urgent care walk in clinic.
Injuries that aren?t life threatening will be those common bumps, bruises, sprains, and fractures. About 80 percent of urgent care centers treat fractures. At an urgent care center, you will find doctors that treat many common injuries, including ankle sprains. One study found that 25,000 people in the United States sprain an ankle every single day. It is recommended to visit an urgent care clinic if you can?t find doctors in your area. Many people who are uninsured prefer urgent care, due to the low visit costs.
More dire situations should be treated at your nearest emergency room. If you or someone you know is struggling to breathe, go to the ER. Any situation where a person is coming in and out of consciousness is best treated in the emergency room. Injuries come in all shapes and sizes, making it to tough to understand which are life threatening. Generally speaking, if an injury causes significant bleeding, an ER is the best place to go.
In closing, knowing where to go when an injury occurs is important. A great rule of thumb to keep in mind is life threatening injuries should be treated at an ER. If you are in pain but are not bleeding or losing consciousness, it is likely an urgent care will have everything you need to be taken care of.