When to Go to Urgent Care vs. an Emergency Room

If you or your child gets hurt or sick in the middle of the night, it can be hard to know what to do next. Should you head straight to the emergency room, or can it wait until morning for urgent care? Understanding the difference between these two options can help you make the right call when it matters most.

Emergency rooms and urgent care centers serve different purposes — and that also means different costs. Emergency rooms are equipped to handle serious and life-threatening conditions, which makes them the right choice for severe injuries or symptoms, but also the more expensive option. Urgent care, on the other hand, can treat many non-emergency illnesses and injuries at a lower cost than the ER.

Emergency rooms offer the highest level of care, with advanced testing and treatment available around the clock, along with surgeons and specialists on call 24/7 to respond to life-threatening situations.

Emergency rooms can often provide:

• Blood tests
• CT scans
• Electrocardiograms
• MRIs
• Other high-tech hospital tests
• Sedation for a child who needs to have a painful procedure
• Ultrasounds
• X-rays

When to Go to Urgent Care

It’s usually best to see your primary care doctor or your child’s pediatrician for routine healthcare needs since they’re familiar with your medical history. But if you need care outside of your doctor’s office hours or they can’t see you that day, a visit to a urgent care is a convenient, cost-effective option.

Urgent care can treat minor and moderate medical problems in adults and children that aren’t emergencies but need care within 24 hours.

You can get treatment at urgent care for:

• A cut that needs stitches
• A non-life-threatening accident or fall
• A spike in blood pressure
• An existing condition that’s getting worse, such as mild to moderate asthma
• An eye scratch
• Common injuries, such as sprained ankles and back problems
• Ear pain
• Fever
• Mild or moderate abdominal pain
• Mild or non-continuous vomiting or diarrhea
• Simple or mild broken bones
• Sore throat

When to Go to the Emergency Room

A true emergency is when an illness or injury means you or your child's health or life is in jeopardy and you need treatment right away.

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately for:

• Chest pain
• Dizziness, sudden confusion and difficulty seeing or moving your body
• Facial drooping, arm weakness and difficulty speaking (possible stroke symptoms)
• Head injury or trauma
• High-speed car accident or a high fall
• Ingestion of a toxic substance
• Seizure or unconsciousness
• Severe abdominal pain
• Severe allergic reaction
• Spurting blood
• Trouble breathing

Not Sure Where to Get Care?

If you think it’s an emergency, go to the emergency room or call 911 right away.

If you’re not sure if you need urgent care, you can join an On-Demand Video Visit from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm daily with a Sutter clinician.

Be Prepared

Make sure you’re ready in case of a medical emergency. Get familiar with the coverage your insurance company offers. Review your policy or call to find out which urgent cares and emergency rooms are in-network and what costs you’ll be responsible for with each.

Find out where the closest emergency departments and urgent care locations are and learn how to get there.