Should I Go to The Emergency Room or Urgent Care?
An accident or unexpected need for medical help can interrupt anyone’s day without warning. If you have a medical emergency, you need to call 911 and go to the emergency room. It is advisable to get checked out as soon as possible after a motor vehicle accident. If you elect not to take an ambulance, you may find that when the adrenalin wears off, that you need to visit your primary care doctor. In that event, you should plan on a longer wait to see your primary care doctor. According to Mayo Clinic, here are some examples of common conditions that can be treated in emergency rooms and urgent care clinics:
When to Go to The Urgent Care Clinic
Urgent care clinics are capable of handling various situations or conditions that are not fatal or life-threatening, including:
- Joint pain or sprains
- Minor bone fractures
- Animal bites
- Muscle pain
- Stomach pain and vomiting
- Cuts requiring minimal stitches
- Minor burns
- Eye problems
- Minor breathing issues or headaches
- Skin problems, including minor rashes
Medical professionals in some urgent care clinics are set up to take X-rays and do minor procedures, including stitching cuts, soothing minor burns, and mending simple bone fractures. Some urgent care clinics do not have X-ray machines or the capacity to do minor procedures. Think of urgent care clinics as the middle ground between the emergency room and your primary care doctor. If you’re suffering from a minor injury or illness after an accident, urgent care is one option for treatment. If you injuries are more severe, require immediate attention, or if you have chronic or underlying health problems, you should visit the emergency room.
When to Go to The Emergency Room
If you were involved in a rollover accident or other significant crash, you should go to the emergency room. The ER (or calling 911) is the only place you should go to if you are experiencing the following life-threatening situations or symptoms:
- Loss of consciousness or amnesia
- Severe trauma, such as head and body injuries
- Severe bleeding
- Compound bone fractures, including multiple fractures or broken bones in the face, pelvis, or ribs
- Symptoms of stroke, such as trouble talking or understanding speech, severe headache or dizziness, and/or sudden weakness or paralysis of the arm, face, and/or leg
- Symptoms of heart attack, such as clammy skin, breathing difficulties, and/or chest pain
Heading to either your primary care doctor or an urgent care center for these conditions will just waste precious time because they’ll just call emergency services for you or bring you to the ER. Just to be on the safe side, whenever you’re in doubt, always go to the nearest emergency room.
Call an Experienced Forsyth County and Cumming, GA Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident, even if you’re not certain whether you need emergency or urgent care, it’s immensely crucial that you obtain medical assistance after the accident. Besides ensuring that you get a proper diagnosis and treatment for your injuries, it will likewise make it easier to show that your injuries were caused by the accident and will increase your chance of recovering full compensation for your losses.
Talk to our personal injury lawyers in Forsyth County and Cumming, GA, here at Banks, Stubbs & McFarland LLP to learn more about your claim. Fill out our quick contact form or call us at 770-887-1209 to schedule your appointment.