What Is Urgent Care?
Urgent care is basically defined as a category of clinics where you can walk in and get ambulatory care. It is a dedicated medical facility, usually present outside a hospital. It is also known as the outpatient department or OPD in multiple hospitals.
What do we need to know about urgent care?
Urgent medical conditions, which are not considered medical emergencies, but still require necessary medical intervention within 24 hours, are taken into consideration here. Urgent care services are usually cheaper than inpatient departments, where a patient gets admitted for a prolonged period. However, the decision to admit a patient is made by a healthcare provider.
Why is urgent care needed?
Medical emergencies have many forms, they can be extremely life-threatening like a serious fatal head injury or a cardiac arrest or they can be emergencies that require immediate care. It is important to take such a patient to the emergency room as soon as possible. However, in case of urgent care, the patient is transferred to a specialist, treated and sent back home. So do remember the subtle distinction between medical emergency and urgent care.
What constitutes a medical emergency?
Usually, a medical emergency condition is one wherein a permanent medical damage can be caused if urgent medical intervention is not provided.
Some conditions that can be classified as medical emergency are:
- Extreme pain in the chest
- Difficulty in breathing
- Fracture
- Fracture with bone protrusion through the skin
- Seizure
- Loss of consciousness
- Extreme fever in infants
- Uncontrollable bleeding
- Gunshots wound
- Knife wounds
- Drug overdose
- Head injury
- Severe burns
- Moderate burns
- Neck injury
- Pregnancy-related complications
- Cardiac arrest
- Suicidal attempts
- Slurred speech
- Loss of vision
- Sudden numbness
What are some of the conditions that are classified as urgent care conditions?
Urgent care conditions basically do not require a medical or surgical intervention immediately. They can be attended to within 24 hours. Examples of such conditions are:
- Falls
- Sprain
- Minor fracture
- Backache
- Mild difficulty in breathing
- Small cuts that require stitching
- Redness of the eye
- Irritation of the eye
- Fever
- Flu
- Dehydration
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Sore throat
- Infections
- Skin rashes
When do you need to see an urgent care doctor?
Visit one when you have any of the urgent conditions listed above. To know more,
you can request an appointment at Apollo Spectra Hospitals, Koramangala, Bangalore.
Call 1860 500 2244 to book an appointment.
Conclusion
Sometimes, medical conditions can be beyond our control. If you need urgent care, do not waste time.
Asthma attacks require significant medical intervention and hence are categorized under medical emergency. They need immediate medical attention. However, mild to moderate shortness of breath is classified as an urgent care situation. It can be catered within 24 hours, by a specialist doctor.
A third-degree burn is classified as a significant medical emergency. Failure of medical intervention can lead to dehydration and even loss of life. Unlike minor burns, such cases should not be taken to an urgent care department.
Urinary tract infection or UTI occurs when there is an inflammation in the tract that carries urine in your body. It requires medical intervention, however, it is not a medical emergency. It can be treated within 24 hours of the consultation. It is usually catered to by a specialist doctor.
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