喵咪社区

When an unexpected medical problem arises, do you seek treatment at an emergency room or an urgent care clinic? A 喵咪社区 expert helps you decide.

We鈥檝e all been there: Maybe it鈥檚 an earache that worsens over the weekend, or an ankle that hasn鈥檛 been the same since that fall on a trail run.

Whatever it is, we know 蝉辞尘别迟丑颈苍驳鈥檚 wrong, but we don鈥檛 know how wrong, and we don鈥檛 know if we can wait for an appointment with our primary care physician before doing something about it.

So: Do we take it to the emergency room or an urgent care clinic?

What do emergency rooms do best?

As a nurse practitioner for the emergency department at , part of 喵咪社区, Sona Yesayan, NP-BC, helps patients answer this question all the time 鈥� and the key, she believes, involves understanding which purpose each care option is designed to serve.

In the case of the emergency department, she says, everything on offer 鈥� from advanced medical equipment to a staff of specialists, registered nurses, technicians and more 鈥� is there to treat life-threatening emergencies that need immediate care.

Serious auto accidents, uncontrolled bleeding, symptoms of cardiac arrest: Those are all jobs for the emergency department.

What is urgent care?

Urgent care, by contrast, is purpose built to address acute but not life-threatening conditions.

That means that an urgent care clinic will have some of the same equipment as an emergency room, as well as a staff of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, X-ray technicians and licensed vocational nurses.

With all of that at the ready, Yesayan says, there鈥檚 a lot that urgent care clinics can do, including:

• Take X-rays
• Splint minor fractures
• Treat sprains and strains
• Administer medication and intravenous fluids
• Repair lacerations
• Treat first- and second-degree burns
• Diagnose pneumonia
• Address nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
• Perform bloodwork and lab services
• Treat minor wounds and animal bites
• Manage exacerbations of chronic issues, like allergies or asthma, that require simple treatment

鈥淯rgent care centers fill the gap between primary care and the emergency room,鈥� Yesayan says. And with hours more flexible than those of the typical doctor鈥檚 office 鈥� often including evenings, weekends and some holidays 鈥� urgent care centers can be a failsafe for anyone who can鈥檛 take time off work for an appointment or can鈥檛 stomach a long wait to schedule one.

When to go to urgent care vs. emergency room

Still, you might not know whether your medical concern is urgent, or downright emergent 鈥� especially if you鈥檙e frightened or in pain.

And here, Yesayan offers some clarifying considerations.

鈥淭here are definitely very black-and-white issues where it鈥檚 clear where to go,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f you woke up with a cold and just want advice and assessment, go to urgent care. You sprained your finger and aren鈥檛 sure if it鈥檚 broken? Go to urgent care.鈥�

But if you鈥檙e experiencing symptoms of a heart attack or stroke or head injury, a chemical burn, unexplained loss of consciousness or something else extreme, 鈥淭hose are things most people should get evaluated in the emergency room,鈥� Yesayan counsels, adding that conditions occurring in the very young, very old and immunocompromised also deserve emergency attention.

If you鈥檙e still unsure, Yesayan suggests messaging your primary care physician 鈥� if you have an established relationship with one 鈥� with questions about your condition. Having worked as a primary care nurse practitioner for seven years, she understands how valuable a resource the office鈥檚 staff can be.

鈥淎nd if you鈥檙e really in that gray area and don鈥檛 know which way to go,鈥� she concludes, 鈥渋t鈥檚 okay to go to the emergency room.鈥�

Emergency rooms: What to know

Just keep some caveats in mind.

For one, while an emergency department will give you the best care it can, Yesayan says it may not be the best care for your condition.

鈥淲e have a purpose in the emergency department and it鈥檚 to rule out emergencies and emergent conditions,鈥� she says. So, if what brought you there doesn鈥檛 pose a life-threatening problem now or in the near future, 鈥淲e can offer counseling on the findings, potential nonemergent diagnoses and advice to follow up with your primary care provider and get the appropriate referrals. We may not always alleviate all concerns or provide exact diagnoses, but we do our best to counsel and provide resources,鈥� she continues.

Is urgent care cheaper than the emergency room?

Emergency departments, which draw upon considerable human and physical resources, can also be costlier than urgent care 鈥� though how costly is 鈥渁 tricky question to answer,鈥� Yesayan notes.

While both options won鈥檛 refuse care based on a patient鈥檚 ability to pay, urgent care centers will collect a fee or copayment at the time of service. Patients at the emergency department, however, are seen regardless of their insurance or ability to pay.

Emergency room wait times

Emergency rooms also often pose longer waits. 鈥淭here may not be enough beds or nurses to bring in more patients,鈥� Yesayan explains. 鈥淥r there may be ambulances coming through the back with life-threatening illnesses. Staff might also be tending to patients who are very ill, requiring resuscitation.鈥�

What鈥檚 more, she adds, 鈥淭he strain that true non-emergencies puts on ERs increases the likelihood of truly sick patients waiting longer to be seen as we try to manage the large influx of people waiting.鈥�

When you need care, seek it

That said, the last thing Yesayan wants is for a patient to delay care because they鈥檙e afraid of burdening the emergency department or an urgent care clinic.

鈥淚f you felt in your gut that this was the place to go and now you鈥檙e being told you鈥檙e fine and can go home, it鈥檚 okay!鈥� she says. 鈥淭he staff isn鈥檛 grumbling about why you鈥檙e there.鈥�

After all, they鈥檙e there to help. As Yesayan recalls, 鈥淎 patient once told me, 鈥楽ometimes I just want someone in scrubs to put that little metal stethoscope on my chest and tell me, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e okay.鈥� So, we鈥檙e doing a lot of counseling and educating the community. But that鈥檚 fine. We love it. We all choose to be here and chose emergency medicine for our life鈥檚 work.鈥�

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