If you have a medical problem that can’t wait, you’re going to have to decide whether you need to visit urgent care or an emergency room. While both are sufficient options for when you can’t wait to get an appointment with your primary care provider, there is a difference between the types of care that each facility specializes in. It’s not as common-knowledge as it should be, but a visit to the emergency room should really be reserved for life-threatening injuries or medical problems, and urgent care should be your first choice for your other immediate health care needs. When you need to visit an urgent care facility in Falls Church, Medics USA is conveniently located off of Wilson Blvd near the intersection with Arlington Blvd.
Visiting urgent care instead of an emergency will save you both time and money. If you get to urgent care and find that your problem is more serious than you anticipated, you can rest assured that you will be directed to the nearest emergency room for care. If you’re not sure when to visit urgent care and when to visit an emergency room, we’d like to go over the medical problems that are treated at both facilities in today’s post.
When You Should Visit An Emergency Room
Because emergency rooms are for life-threatening injuries and medical problems, if your medical problem is less severe than the other patients coming in, you could spend hours waiting to be seen. The cost to cover an emergency room visit is also much more expensive under most health insurance plans. Reserve a visit to the emergency room for the following life-threatening issues:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Excessive bleeding
- Chest Pain
- Major traumas such as head injuries
- Weakness or numbness in one side of your body
- Excruciating abdominal pain
- Unconsciousness or seizures
- Protruding bones or deep wounds
- Inability to breathe
- Severe allergic reactions
- Poisoning
When You Should Visit Urgent Care
Visiting an urgent care facility is your best option when it comes to addressing medical problems that can’t wait, but that are not life-threatening. You are more likely to be seen more quickly and the cost of an urgent care visit is generally around $200, whereas a trip to the emergency room is typically around $2,000. You can visit an urgent care facility for the following problems:
- Cold and flu symptoms
- Coughing and a sore throat
- A high fever
- Stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Cuts and scrapes
- Broken Bones
- Minor burns
- Minor injuries
- Urinary tract infection
- Back pain
At Medics USA urgent care in Falls Church, we want to ensure that you will get the best treatment available for the medical problem that you’re experiencing. As long as your medical problem is not life-threatening, you can trust that our professional and trained emergency care physicians will be able to treat your immediate medical concerns. If you are experiencing an emergency that you believe to be life threatening, please call 911 immediately. At Medics USA, we accept most insurance plans, and you do not need to make an appointment to visit our emergency care facility.