Whats the difference between urgent care and emergency

Q: What defines emergency care?

Emergency Care means inpatient and outpatient hospital services necessary to prevent the death or serious impairment of the health of the recipient.

Do you know the difference between the emergency room and an urgent care? Do you know where to go when you are in need of medical care?

Table of Contents Show

When Should You Consider Going to Urgent Care Clinics?
Emergency Room Visits
Emergency Room or Urgent Care: Key Differences
Emergency Room and Urgent Care Similarities
Schedule a Visit With Us!
Common Emergency Health Conditions
When to Go to Urgent Care
We Offer Urgent Care in Lodi, Stockton, and Manteca
Is Urgent same as emergency?
What is considered an urgent emergency?
What defines emergency care?

In general the emergency room should be visited if the problem is life threatening. Urgent cares, like Advanced Urgent Care & Occupational Medicine in Colorado, should be visited if the problem is non-life-threatening, but is too pressing to wait to see your primary care doctor.

When Should You Consider Going to Urgent Care Clinics?

You should consider going to an urgent care clinic for many of the same ailments you would go to your family medicine doctor for. This includes the following acute illnesses or injuries, but is not limited to:

COVID-19
Allergies
Pink eye
Insect bites or minor animal bites
Neck or back pain
Ear infections
UTIs
Mild fevers
Cold or flu symptoms
Minor sprains, strains, or breaks
Strep throat

Emergency Room Visits

Going to the emergency room, or calling 911, is important when you are experiencing a medical emergency that is life threatening. This includes, but is not limited to:

Severe allergic reactions
Severe animal bites
Severe chest pain or shortness of breath, heart attack symptoms
Sudden blurring or loss of vision
High fever of 103 degrees Fahrenheit for two or more days
Loss of consciousness or signs of stroke
Severe breaks or loss of limb
Repeated vomiting or vomiting blood

Emergency Room or Urgent Care: Key Differences

The key differences between emergency departments and urgent care centers include more than just what you are being seen for. Other differences include the cost, wait times, and hours of operation.

Insurance companies accept visits to urgent cares and emergency rooms. However, the average cost for an urgent care visit is $125-$160 and the emergency room can cost $400-$2,000.
Generally the wait times are shorter at the urgent care. At Advanced Urgent Care & Occupational Medicine you can schedule your visit time. This helps minimize wait times, but we also accept walk-in patients.
Advanced Urgent Care & Occupational Medicine’s clinics are open 7 days a week. Emergency rooms are typically always open.

Emergency Room and Urgent Care Similarities

You will receive the utmost medical attention at the emergency room and urgent care centers. Physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician associates work at both while providing high levels of care. Many urgent cares are equipped with x-ray, just like an ER. Ultrasound, CT scans, and MRIs are generally not offered at the urgent care, but are available at many emergency rooms or hospitals.

Schedule a Visit With Us!

Schedule a visit with Advanced Urgent Care & Occupational Medicine in Colorado for acute illnesses or injury. We have locations across the Denver metro area. Click here for a list of locations and to schedule an in-clinic or telehealth visit today.

Urgent care clinics provide faster and more affordable health care services than emergency rooms. Although it is preferable to choose an urgent care clinic over an emergency room, if not for the cost difference alone, it may not always be an option. Only emergency rooms can treat people with life-threatening health complications.

While we can treat many types of health conditions here at California Urgent Care Center, you should receive treatment for life-threatening health conditions in an emergency room. Below, we discuss common health conditions that may warrant emergency or urgent care treatment.

Common Emergency Health Conditions

If you have the following symptoms, consider visiting an emergency room:

Chest pains or difficulty breathing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chest pains, breathing problems, and weakness are common heart attack symptoms.
Slurred speech or weakness on one side. Slurred speech can be a sign of a serious brain complication, such as a stroke. Additionally, weakness or numbness on one side of the body can also be a common stroke symptom.
Serious burn injuries. Third-degree burns are more likely to become infected or lead to other serious complications. Second-degree and first-degree burns that cover a wide or vulnerable area of the body can also become very dangerous. Treat serious burn injuries in an emergency room.
Severe viral and bacterial infections. Certain viral and bacterial infections can turn deadly without emergency treatment.
Major changes in mental state. Urgent care clinics cannot treat severe psychiatric symptoms.

This is not an exhaustive list of health conditions that should necessitate emergency care. Contact a medical professional right away if you are experiencing a health emergency.

When to Go to Urgent Care

Urgent care centers can treat numerous health conditions. We have more information on the types of conditions we treat on our site. Consider coming to see us for health conditions that include:

Abdominal pain
Ingrown nails
Eye and ear infections
Eye irritation
Urinary tract infections
STD symptoms
Abscesses
Asthma
Some accidents and falls
Sprains and broken bones
Back pain

It can be a costly mistake to visit the emergency room for health conditions that an urgent care clinic can treat. Not only are the wait times much longer in emergency rooms, but the financial costs are also generally more significant. In fact, a trip in an ambulance can cost over $1,200 in many places across the country.

We Offer Urgent Care in Lodi, Stockton, and Manteca

Want to schedule an urgent care appointment? California Urgent Care Center takes patients from all walks of life. We have more information on the types of insurance we accept at our locations. However, you do not need to have insurance to be treated by our staff. We also offer telemedicine appointments. You can reach us by dialing (209) 224-8517 or by using the contact form on our site.

Is Urgent same as emergency?

An Emergency Department treats life- or limb-threatening health conditions in people of all ages. It is the best option when you require immediate medical attention. Urgent Care is the middle ground between your primary care provider and the Emergency Department.

What is considered an urgent emergency?

Severe abdominal pain. Severe chest pain or difficulty breathing. Heart attack symptoms, such as chest pain that lasts longer than two minutes. Stroke symptoms, such as vision loss, sudden numbness, weakness, slurred speech, or confusion.

What defines emergency care?

'Emergency Care' means inpatient and outpatient hospital services necessary to prevent the death or serious impairment of the health of the recipient.