When disaster strikes, it can really help to know where the nearest urgent care locations are. Or are you not familiar with urgent care centers? It is simple, really: your local urgent care clinic provides minor medical care for those times when your doctor is out of office such as on weekends or nights, or when you have, well, an urgent injury or illness but not exactly an emergency. Still confused? Read below for a few facts that will have you prepared for the next time an unexpected injury or illness threatens to disrupt your day.
First, let’s be clear about the differences between urgent and emergency situations. If the injury threatens your life (obvious perhaps), you need to go to the emergency room, or better yet, have someone call an ambulance. The same goes for anything that could potentially result in you losing a limb, or if you are having a very bad day, if a limb has already been lost. Please call an ambulance immediately if you are missing a limb, as the risk of bleeding out is high.
A severe illness is also cause to head in to the nearest emergency room. A fever over 106 degrees Fahrenheit, or over 101 degrees Fahrenheit in infants could actually cause brain damage if left untreated. Severe vomiting, chest pains, and stomach pains are all symptoms of larger problems that need immediate care.
Immediate care is the key phrase in determining the difference between an all-out emergency and an urgent one. Basically, if you are concerned about the injury or illness but not enough to wait through triage, your best bet may be to find your nearest urgent care locations.
Nearly 50% of all urgent care locations are actually owned and run by a physician or group of physicians. A couple of examples would be: a cough that has worsened, a fever that is below 106 degrees but is not abating, and suspected minor sprains. Also, about 80% of urgent care clinics, or four out of every five, are easily capable of setting minor fractures.
For most urgent care services, you would normally go to a doctor. But these days, who has time to wait for an appointment? Doctors are busy, we’re busy, and instant gratification is a cultural plague that shows no signs of abating. When the doctor is out and you need answers (and medicine) now, search for the best urgent care locations near you.
