If you have an illness or suffered an injury, it can be confusing knowing where to go to get the appropriate medical treatment. Urgent care centers are becoming increasingly popular and can offer you a more cost-effective and convenient alternative to an emergency room for many non-emergency healthcare needs.
Urgent Care
Urgent care is medical care that focuses on conditions and injuries that are not considered life threatening and do not pose an immediate health risk, but do require high priority care within 24 hours. Urgent care centers provide easy access to quality healthcare, often have extended hours, and can be a much more cost-effective treatment option than emergency rooms. Urgent care centers can provide comprehensive care for many illnesses and injuries, such as:
- Simple fractures
- Minor head injuries
- Allergies
- Mild asthma
- Bronchitis, coughs, colds, flu, fever, sore throat
- Dehydration
- Ear infections
- Insect bites
- Migraines
- Minor burns, cuts, and lacerations
- Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
- Pink eye
- Rashes
- Sprains and strains
- Stitches
- Urinary tract infections
Emergency Care
The difference between using an urgent care center and an emergency room is the severity of the medical condition being addressed. If you have an emergency situation, such as a life-threatening condition or if you believe your condition or injury could leave you permanently impaired, you should go directly to your nearest ER or dial 911. Conditions and injuries that require emergency care include:
- Chest pain or heart palpitations
- Serious fractures (visible or crushed bone)
- Major head injury
- Uncontrollable bleeding
- Severe burns, trauma, or injuries
- Severe asthma attack
- Fevers in infants less than two months old
- Ingestion of obstructive objects or poisons
- Pneumonia
- Seizures
- Severe pain (abdominal, headaches)
- Snake bites
Urgent Care Services
In order to provide the best possible care to patients, urgent care centers are fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to provide comprehensive on-site services, such as digital X-rays and an in-office laboratory. These services offer convenience and rapid diagnostic capabilities. They also provide a number of services including wound care, diagnostic testing, and treatments for many illnesses, infections, injuries, and conditions.
Advantages Of Using Urgent Care
Urgent care centers can provide many advantages over an emergency room. They can get you treated a lot quicker than an emergency room which, understandably, needs to prioritize life threatening health problems over less serious medical conditions, meaning you are likely to experience long waiting times.
Urgent care centers more cost-effective and affordable than emergency rooms, as they often accept most major insurances and offer fair, upfront pricing for all self-pay patients. Emergency room services are almost always very expensive.
Although you may get seen quicker with a scheduled appointment, urgent care centers welcome walk-ins, making the admission process straightforward and treatment easily accessible.
Urgent Care Services in Eatonton, GA
If you require urgent care, Lake Oconee Primary & Urgent Care Center is happy to help you. We offer extended hours, a welcoming environment, and friendly, professional care from experienced staff. For more information about our urgent care services, contact our office at (706) 484-0884, walk-ins are also welcome.
Always go directly to your nearest ER or dial 911 for emergency medical care if you have a serious or life-threatening condition.
