The difference between ER vs urgent care, and when to go

When should you go to the ER vs urgent care? Being sick or injured is never fun, and being unsure of whether to seek care at an urgent care or emergency department can make that experience even worse, especially if you choose the wrong one. Going to an ER when you should be at an urgent care could result in lost time, money, and unnecessary strain on medical staff, and the same can be said for the opposite situation.

Samia Kadri, a Banner Urgent Care Nurse Practitioner, joined “Arizona Horizon” to explain different scenarios that require ER and ones for urgent care.

“The urgent care sees minor illnesses, minor injuries,” Kadri explained, “…but we’ll see people with a common cold, flu…COVID.”

Kadri also discussed those that are having lower urinary symptoms, or sexually transmitted concerns can go to an urgent care. They are also able to diagnose, and treat pneumonia, as well as simple lacerations.

“If you fall, and you have you’re hand outstretched and you hurt your wrist, we can X-ray that,” Kadri said, “…usually we can stabilize it until you see a specialist.”

Kadri explained how majority of the X-ray technicians are capable of treating injuries from the knee down, the shoulder, and the collarbone out.

“…and then we do chest x-rays for infectious reasons,” Kadri said, “…so no spine, no neck, no head, and no hip.”

Those with symptoms of severe chest pain, numbness, weakness, loss of consciousness, severe abdominal pain, or hitting your head, should go to the emergency room. Well some may make the mistake of going to an urgent care in those situations, Kadri assured there are no ramifications.

“…we want you to be seen somewhere,” Kadri explained, “…so the only thing that people run into is they come to urgent care, we assess them and we deem them necessary to go to the ER….essentially we want the best outcome…so we will just recommend ER, call 911, do non-emergent transport if they have not arrived.”