Skip the ER Wait: When to Choose Urgent Care for Sudden Illnesses & Minor Injuries

Monroe Township in Pennsylvania offers the best of both worlds: you don’t have to deal with the hustle and bustle of a major metropolis, but you still have access to everything you need. That includes healthcare. 

If you start experiencing worrisome symptoms or get hurt, you don’t have to go far for medical attention. Plus, you have options beyond the emergency room (ER). Choosing urgent care instead might save you quite a bit of waiting. When you do see a doctor, you can get treatment without the rush that typically comes with the ER.

With extensive experience treating acute injuries, upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and a range of other conditions, we’re here to help. Whenever you need urgent care, come see our providers at StrongURcare in Monroe Township, Pennsylvania.

When to go to the ER

Some signs or symptoms indicate you should head straight to the ER. You might be experiencing something life-threatening if you have:

• A head injury, including a concussion
• A compound fracture (a broken bone that pierces the skin)
• Bleeding you can’t stop
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Fainting
• High fever
• Major burns
• Numbness or weakness on one side of your body
• Seizures
• Slurred speech

At the emergency room, you’ll have access to a wider range of diagnostic tools and treatments than at urgent care. When you need fast care to intervene on something that could threaten your life, go to the ER. 

When the ER can mean a major wait

The ER isn’t first-come, first-served. Instead, medical providers use a system called triage. This means they evaluate each patient to determine how urgent their situation is. The more pressing your need for medical attention, the faster you’ll be seen. 

When you go to the ER for lower-urgency injuries and conditions, you get ranked lower in the triage system. Care providers will see you as soon as they can, but they’re attending to higher-need patients first. If you’ve heard horror stories about waiting hours and hours at the ER, this is why. 

Fortunately, the ER’s not your only option if you need medical attention. You can go to urgent care.

What urgent care can do for you

At urgent care, we offer same-day medical attention. You can come see us for:

• Allergies
• Cold symptoms
• Cuts 
• Diarrhea
• Earaches
• Flu symptoms
• Minor burns
• Nausea and vomiting
• Rashes
• Simple fractures (broken bones that don’t pierce the skin)
• Sprains and strains
• Urinary tract infections
• Wound cleaning

You don’t have to spend your whole day waiting at the ER. If you need to see a doctor today but you’re not in a life-threatening situation, come see us at StrongURcare. 

You can schedule a visit online, call 570-743-9112 to book an appointment, or simply walk into our office.