Urgent Care Or Emergency Room?

By Author: Andrew Yule
Total Articles: 3
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How can you tell that you should visit urgent care in Long Island rather than the emergency center? Maybe you’ve got a pretty bad cut, you’ve been scratched by a feral cat, or you think you might have the flu. Do any of these situations constitute an emergency? Are your injuries or symptoms serious enough to pay the high prices that accompany ER visits? There’s a good chance that heading to the urgent care clinic is the best option. These centers are often able to handle fairly serious injuries and illnesses that wouldn’t necessarily require a visit to the emergency room. A simplified way to determine whether or not you can skip the ER is to ask yourself if the injuries or illness is life-threatening. No? Then the urgent care center is probably best. Click here to learn more.

Things Treated at Urgent Care

The range of things that you can have treated at urgent care is pretty broad. You’ll find that these centers are often equipped with X-ray machines, IV machines and fluids, and the supplies necessary to treat most sprains and fractures. Are you bleeding? The professionals at the urgent care center can ...
... probably help you with most lacerations. If you can see bone, you should probably head to the ER.

Don’t Call Ahead

You don’t have to call ahead when going to the urgent care center. Sometimes people call ahead to determine if their symptoms are severe enough that they should go in, but they will almost always receive the answer that they can’t be diagnosed without being seen. Save yourself some time. If you think you are sick enough to need to see a doctor, then head into the urgent care center and get some treatment before you condition worsens.

Urgent Care Doesn’t Replace Your Doctor

There are a few things you need to know about visiting the urgent care in Long Island. The first of these is that the center is not a replacement for your regular doctor. Think about the urgent care as an alternative to visiting the ER during those hours when you can’t get in to your primary care physician. In fact, you’ll probably want to follow up with your family doc after a trip to urgent care.

Take Prescriptions to the Pharmacy

Next, you shouldn’t expect to fill your prescriptions at the urgent care center. Because any conditions should be monitored and watched by your primary care physician, the staff at the center won’t want to fill those medications for you. Contact your doctor and pick up your prescriptions through your usual pharmacist.

Treat Nurse Practitioners and Physician’s Assistants With Respect

Expect to be treated by a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant. These professionals are able to treat and diagnose most problems. Many urgent care Long Island centers are overseen by a board-certified physician, but these doctors probably won’t stop to see you unless you have very serious conditions or symptoms. The nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant are competent and well-prepared to provide the treatment you need. If you believe that you may be having a heart attack or you have chest pain, visit the ER.