When you feel sick and your symptoms worsen quickly, you know you need medical attention – but it’s not always possible to get an appointment the same day as you. primary care physician.

When a sudden, severe illness requires immediate care, the two most common options are to visit an urgent care or go to a hospital emergency room—but how do you know which is best?

Fox News Digital spoke with several doctors to determine when an urgent care center will suffice and when a trip to the ER is warranted.

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Urgent care centers provide immediate health care services for no-show patients, typically offering extended hours and same-day availability.

They can be considered a “middle ground” between a primary care physician and the ER, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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There were 10,728 active urgent care clinics in the U.S. earlier this year, according to Definitive Healthcare in Massachusetts.

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Urgent care centers typically treat a wide range of illnesses and injuries and may have a treatment or procedure room for performing minor medical procedures such as stitches, casts, and low-risk surgeries only under local anesthesia, according to the same source.

Other services may include basic laboratory and imaging tests, as well as referrals for further treatment.

These centers may be staffed by doctors, nurse practitioners, nurse practitioners, nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals.

“If it’s after hours or on the weekend, some conditions can accelerate pretty quickly and can’t wait until the next business day,” said Mishi Jackson, MD, chief clinician at Novant Health Union Cross Family Medicine in Winston-Salem, Carolina. north. Fox News Digital.

“For example, a simple bladder infection can spread to the kidneys and blood and cause bad outcomes.”

Jackson noted that not all urgent care centers offer the same services. She encourages patients to check beforehand to make sure the center they visit can help with their needs.

“For minor injuries or illnesses, an urgent care facility may be appropriate,” Matthew Shannon, MD, director of community emergency medicine at Florida Health University in Gainesville, Florida, told Fox News Digital.

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“Most patients are pretty good at determining what constitutes something minor versus something major.”

Below are some of the conditions that can usually be treated in an urgent care setting, according to the Mayo Clinic website.

The emergency room is open 24 hours a day and is equipped to treat “life- or limb-threatening health conditions,” the Mayo Clinic noted, such as seizures, stroke, severe bleeding, loss of consciousness, heart attack or other escalated medical crises.

The Emergency Room is equipped with critical services and staff that an emergency clinic does not have, including specialists in cardiology, neurology and orthopedics, according to the same source.

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The ER will also have access to imaging and lab equipment that may not be available at an urgent care.

Below are some of the types of conditions that warrant a trip to the ER, as listed on the Mayo Clinic website.

• Chest pain or pressure

• Compound fracture (bone coming through the skin)

• Head injuries

• Pneumonia

• seizures

• Severe abdominal pain

• Breathing difficulties

• Sudden, severe headacheor paralysis or weakness

• Uncontrolled bleeding

Other emergency conditions include a high fever, fainting, or the sudden onset of symptoms such as difficulty speaking, confusion, or trouble moving one side of the body, according to Shannon.

A patient who has been involved in a significant motor vehicle accident should also visit the emergency room.

Patients can experience wait times in emergency departments, Shannon noted.

“All patients presenting to emergency departments throughout the country are sorted according to a system of severity of complaints, medical history and vital signs,” he told Fox News Digital.

“Patients who are identified as ill are brought back quickly so the medical team can begin their assessment,” he continued. “Trained emergency care staff and other providers assess you as a patient and provide you with first-line care.”

“Your care really starts right when you walk in the door and talk to a nurse.”

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If your condition is mild enough, Shannon recommends trying to see yourself primary care physicianeven if you have to wait a day.

“If you think you can wait, it’s certainly reasonable to try to have them see your primary care,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we seem to have insufficient primary care providers, and the demand for primary care continues to outstrip supply.”

If any of the following apply, you should call 911 immediately, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians.

• Your condition is life-threatening and you need immediate medical attention

• You cannot move yourself or another person without causing additional damage

• You cannot drive for physical or emotional reasons and need to be transported to an emergency hospital

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The Mayo Clinic advises calling 911 “if you have trouble breathing, shortness of breath, life or limb injuries, or signs of stroke or heart attack.”

Source of the original article: “Should I go to the ER or urgent care?”: Ask a doctor