Urgent or Emergency? When You Should Head to the ER

The emergency room is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week ­­— even if no one ever wants to go there. But if the time does come when you need emergency help, how do you know what is really an emergency and what can be resolved with a simple trip to an urgent care clinic?

Obvious physical trauma aside, it isn’t always easy to tell, so let’s start with what these facilities can (and can’t) do for you.

Emergency Room vs. Urgent Care

Both facilities might be open late, but the ailments they are designed to handle are very different. Urgent care clinics are there to fill in the gaps when you have an injury or non-life-threatening sickness after hours. These are things that you might see your primary care provider for during the daytime, such as minor aches and pains, flu symptoms or a sudden fever. They can even handle sprained limbs or stitch up small cuts.

If you suspect you have a broken arm or leg, though, you may want to head to the emergency room. Not only will an ER have X-ray, CT scan and other instruments that can diagnose your injury, trained technicians can read them on the spot. The main difference between an urgent care and an ER is a higher level of care. Emergency room physicians are trained to stabilize patients in life-threatening situations. Even if they can’t address the root cause right away, they can help get you out of the danger zone until a specialist arrives.

Red Flags To Look for

Accidents like car crashes that cause substantial bleeding or other physical trauma warrant an immediate trip to the ER. But some emergencies, such as strokes and heart attacks, may be harder to identify. The following are some warning signs of a stroke, and they can be especially worrying if you’re over 55 or have high blood pressure:

• Loss of balance
• Vision changes
• Headache
• Facial drooping or severe headache
• Trouble speaking or confusion

Potential heart attack symptoms include:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Cold sweat
• Fatigue
• Pain or discomfort in shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw or teeth
• Heartburn

High fevers might not necessarily warrant a trip to the ER on their own, but if they are accompanied by a rash or persist for four to five days, that can be a cause for concern. In general, it’s best to know your risks. If you’re on blood thinners, for example, severe headaches can be a warning sign of hemorrhage if you’ve had a head injury.

Keeping Kids Safe

These warning signs can be even less obvious for small children. The younger your kids are, the less they’re able to tell you what’s wrong. Prolonged fevers are even more of a worry for kids than they are with adults, so don’t hesitate to call your primary care provider after a couple days — and consider taking kids to the ER after four or five days.

Small bellyaches can happen, but extreme pain can mean something more serious like appendicitis. Sometimes, it’s a situation and not a symptom that can be a red flag. If you see a toddler near an empty bottle of Tylenol, for example, call poison control or head to your nearest ER. Acetaminophen overdose can lead to liver damage or worse.

Time To Call 911?

How you get to the hospital can be just as important as when you get there. For some sudden injuries, you can always have a loved one drive you to the ER if they’re on the scene. But if you’re having any of the warning signs of stroke or heart attack, play it safe and call 911.

Why? First responders won’t just get you medical help faster; they’ll make sure you get the right help. When it comes to a stroke, minutes count. EMTs can diagnose the problems on the spot and route you directly to a specialty care center if needed rather than going through the “middleman” of an ER.