Urgent vs. Emergent

It can be frightening when you or a loved one is faced with a medical emergency. It's important to know where to go for appropriate care when a medical situation arises. The difference between urgent and emergent can be unclear.



Typically an urgent care is used for those situations that require prompt attention, but are not life threatening. Emergency rooms/departments are for serious and potentially life threating situations.

SEEK HELP AT URGENT CARE FOR:
asthma attacks
broken bones
bruises
abrasions
moderate burns
cough
congestion
cuts
dizziness
puncture wounds
earaches
eye infections
eye injuries
fevers
head injuries
headaches/migraines
sore throats
sprains/strains
upper respiratory infection
urinary tract/bladder infections
vomiting
SEEK HELP AT THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT FOR:
asthma attacks
uncontrollable bleeding
broken bones
bruises
abrasions
burns
coughing blood
dehydration
severe diarrhea
difficulty breathing
dizziness
electric shock
head injuries
heart concerns
high fevers
poison ingestion
shock
It's important to recognize when your symptoms require immediate actions. If you experience chest pain, shortness or breath, numbness, paralysis, difficulty with speech, seizures, be sure to call 911.
Children's health concerns often follow different criteria, especially regarding infants. Premature babies and children with a history of severe respiratory illness should be treated in the emergency department whenever they are sick.
For acute health issues that are neither urgent or emergent, your primary care physician or the office's PA or NP should be your first line of defense.



9 comments

  1. This is a great post. Alot people don't know the difference between the two.

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  2. As someone who works at a hospital, I can tell you one of my pet peeves is when someone comes in to the ER for an earache, poison ivy, or an embedded woodtick and then complains when they have to wait a while to get back to a room in the ER while we treat strokes, heart attacks, and motor vehicle accidents. Maybe I should print this off for registration to hand out. ;)

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  3. Great list! I'm always surprised at the minor things people race to the ER for instead of their primary doctor or urgent care. On the other hand it surprises me when people don't go to the ER when they really need to. Definitely keeping this list handy!
    Green Fashionista

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  4. Such an informative post!! Definitely need to print this out for some people! xo, Biana - BlovedBoston

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  5. Great post! Thanks for putting the list together so clearly.

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  6. this was super informative - i had no idea. i was always worried that something would happen to KC and I wouldn't know where to take him, especially since he'd be the person i'd ask! so now i know :)

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  7. I have never heard of a distinction between urgent or emergent and in fact never even heard of the word emergent. Very interesting.

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  8. Thank you for this very informative post, I know a lot of people out there do not know the difference between the two. Some of them I was not even aware of. I'll definitely be sharing this with friends and family as more people should get this information!

    Leonardo @ U.S. Healthworks Medical Group

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