When you become ill or get hurt, it may be hard to determine what level of medical care you need. Should you contact your family doctor, head to an urgent care center, or go straight to the emergency room? Emergency rooms (ER) are often overly crowded. As such, they are not always the best option for some sick or injured patients. However, for severe or life-threatening situations, they are absolutely the best choice for seeking emergent medical care.
When To Go To the ER
In general, if your condition is life-threatening or could seriously impair or endanger your life, you should call 911 immediately or head to the nearest emergency room. If you have any of these serious and life-threatening symptoms, go immediately to the ER:
- Chest pain or difficulty breathing
- Weakness/numbness on one side
- Slurred speech
- Fainting/change in mental state
- Serious burns
- Head or eye injury
- Concussion/confusion
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Compound fractures
- High fevers or fevers in newborns
- Seizures
- Deep knife or gunshot wounds
- Severe pain in the abdomen
- Vaginal bleeding with pregnancy
When To Go To Urgent Care
There are times when you need urgent medical care, but your condition is not life-threatening. In this situation, you would do best to head to an urgent care center near you. This includes any medical condition that requires medical care within the next 12-24 hours. Examples of conditions that are best treated in urgent care include:
- Cuts that might need stitches
- Moderate fevers and cases of flu
- Broken bones requiring x-rays
- Urinary tract infections
- Skin rashes or infections
- Nausea and vomiting
- Breathing difficulties that are not severe
- Accidents or falls
Contact the Urgent Care Center You Can Trust
When you need urgent care, California Urgent Care Center should be your first call! Our team of experienced physicians uses cutting-edge medical technology to provide safe and affordable healthcare for your entire family. We even offer telemedicine appointments when coming into our facilities is too difficult. To learn more about our services, give us a call at(209) 224-8517. You can also find an urgent care location near you on our website.