Resultado de búsqueda
- Overview
- How are they different?
- Urgent care
- Emergency room
- When to go to urgent care
- When to go to an emergency room
- When to call 911
- When to go to a walk-in clinic
- Summary
Medical professionals at urgent care centers and hospital emergency rooms give people immediate medical attention. Understanding the services each offers may save people time and money if they are facing a health scare.
Around 137 million people in the United States visit a hospital emergency room every year, according to a 2021 study published in the journal Health Services Research. The authors estimate that as many as half of these people could be treated at a different facility.
The original purpose of urgent care centers was to take some of the pressure off emergency rooms.
Anyone in a life threatening or limb threatening situation needs immediate help from medical professionals at an emergency room, but urgent care medical professionals can help with many other concerns.
Both emergency rooms and urgent care centers offer people the chance to see a medical professional for conditions that may need immediate attention, but the two facilities provide different levels of care.
The American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine (AAUCM) explains that while emergency room medical professionals can treat any condition, urgent care medical professionals can address less severe, acute problems.
People usually go to urgent care centers for minor injuries or when they cannot get in to see their primary care doctor. Urgent care centers are usually open beyond normal office hours, so people can see a healthcare professional about any problems that need prompt treatment but are not medical emergencies.
Although urgent care centers are often open later than doctors’ offices, they do not offer 24-hour care. Most have medical professionals available on weekends, but they may work a shorter day.
According to the 2021 study, there are more than 9,200 urgent care centers in the U.S., and they see around 122 million people each year.
These centers are open for longer hours than most primary care doctors’ offices, and people do not have to make appointments.
Most facilities have X-ray machines and laboratories to analyze samples from simple blood or urine tests the medical professionals may recommend.
Medical professionals at urgent care centers can also stitch up small wounds, place casts on fractured bones, provide intravenous fluids, and give immunizations.
Emergency rooms are hospital departments where medical professionals can treat people with sudden severe illnesses or injuries at any time during the day or night.
Medical professionals in an emergency room can access any or all of the resources the hospital offers, including surgical procedures, a greater range of diagnostic tests, and sometimes immediate access to physicians from different specialties.
The AAUCM explains that urgent care centers are not replacements for primary care doctors, but they can help people who need immediate medical attention and cannot get an appointment.
Medical professionals at urgent care centers can treat people for many ailments, including:
•allergic reactions
•upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis, influenza, and COVID-19
•pneumonia
•lacerations, or cuts
The ACEP recognizes that some medical situations need immediate attention in an emergency room. These include:
•seizures
•prolonged bleeding, especially if it lasts 10 minutes or longer
•difficulty breathing
•chest pain
•poisoning, including overdoses
According to the ACEP, people who are experiencing chest pains, severe bleeding, or symptoms of a stroke should call 911, because paramedics can start treatment before a person gets to the emergency room.
Other situations in which people need to call an ambulance include:
•choking
•neck and spine injuries
•traumatic accidents, including motor vehicle accidents
•inhalation of smoke or other noxious fumes
Both emergency rooms and urgent care centers offer walk-in appointments for people wanting immediate medical attention.
The 2021 study explains that more people use an emergency room for non-emergencies when doctors’ offices and urgent care centers are closed.
Urgent care centers give people the chance to see a doctor on the same day to treat serious, but not life threatening, illnesses and injuries. These centers are open for longer hours than regular doctors’ offices. They typically have X-ray equipment and the capability to run rapid swabs, or simple blood and urine tests.
Emergency rooms are hospital departments where doctors can give people immediate attention when a person is experiencing a medical emergency.
An emergency room is a hospital department that cares for people with dangerous health conditions. They are equipped and staffed to provide life-saving services and other emergency care. If...
25 de jul. de 2022 · When to use the emergency room - adult. Whenever an illness or injury occurs, you need to decide how serious it is and how soon to get medical care. This will help you choose whether it is best to: Call your health care provider. Go to an urgent care clinic. Go to an emergency department right away.
23 de oct. de 2023 · First Aid. Important Information You Should Know About the ER. By Rod Brouhard, EMT-P. Updated on October 23, 2023. Medically reviewed by Michael Menna, DO. Fact checked by Nick Blackmer. Print. The emergency room (ER) is the first—and sometimes only—place many Americans go for their healthcare.
12 de feb. de 2021 · What to Expect in the Emergency Room: When to Go and What to Bring. Reviews Health. What to expect at the ER: A guide to navigating the emergency room. Written by Sanjana Gupta. Feb 12,...
29 de nov. de 2022 · Emergency care. All around the world, acutely ill and injured people seek care every day. Frontline providers manage children and adults with medical, surgical and obstetric emergencies, including injuries and infections, heart attacks and strokes, asthma and acute complications of pregnancy. Prioritising an integrated approach to early ...
Get Help Today. The department is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to everyone in need of emergency care. The Level 1 trauma center includes an on-site laboratory, a stroke receiving center and a satellite blood bank.
