Urgent Care for Children and Adults


 

Americans young and old alike sometimes get hurt or ill, and when this happens, the victim should be taken to an urgent care center or, in the case of youngsters, a childrens walk in clinic. Urgent care clinics, pediatric urgent care sites, and emergency care providers can all be found online if need be, and a person can look up these medical sites to find a local place that’s open. Not all childrens walk in clinics or emergency care providers are open 24 hours a day, but some are. If the victim needs help at an odd time of day, a concerned party can look up something such as “24 hr childrens walk in clinic” or “24 hour emergency care nearby.” But it should be noted that emergency care and urgent care are quite different, and children will need the help of pediatricians in particular.

Pediatric Care Done Right

Patients under the age of 18 are typically taken to childrens walk in clinics when they suffer minor medical issues, or if they are badly injured or ill, they will be taken to a children’s intensive care unit at a hospital. Bear in mind that most medical care providers expect adult patients, such as most typical walk in clinics or hospital emergency rooms. For a child in need, or even a toddler or baby, a pediatrician’s aid is required. Parents can look up “childrens walk in clinic near me” or “emergency care for toddlers” online if they must, and they should know which medical problems call for what level of care.

A child with relatively minor medical issues can be taken to a childrens walk in clinic, and the pediatricians there will be ready to help, since they understand the anatomy and common health problems of children and babies. A child with a high fever, such as 104 degrees, can be brought here, or perhaps the child has suffered a nasty cut, is dehydrated, has a rash or ear ache, or has suffered stomach pain or vomiting. Meanwhile, a child will need emergency care for major medical cases, such as a broken arm or a leg, passing out and not waking back up, serious bleeding or wounds, major asthma attacks or allergic reactions, and other problems that are or might soon turn life threatening. This can save a young life.

Adult Medical Care Done Right

Overall, urgent care centers can provide convenient care for minor medical cases, and the ER or emergency care centers can help a patient who has serious or even life-threatening medical problems. Some medical sites actually provide both urgent and emergency care side by side, and this is helpful if it’s not clear what level of care a patient may need. After all, an urgent care center can’t handle serious medical cases, and the ER is a waste of money and time for minor cases. It is believed that 44-65% of all ER episodes could have been taken care of at an urgent care center instead.

A patient should be taken to the ER if they have suffered broken bones, or if they have suffered bullet wounds or stab wounds (which are probably bleeding heavily). Emergency care is also a must if the patient is experiencing chest pain or difficulty breathing, or recently had a heart attack or a stroke. Head or eyeball injuries also call for the ER. And what about abdominal pain? Most cases of abdominal pain are actually harmless, but if that pain is sudden, severe, and/or long lasting, emergency care is recommended, since the underlying cause may be quite serious (such as internal bleeding or cancer).

By contrast, urgent care centers offer quick and affordable care for minor medical cases, and a patient might have a wait time as short as 15 minutes in many cases. Many of these clinics have a pharmacy where guests may get a prescription drug refill, and during influenza season, guests at a clinic can get medicinal relief from the common cold or flu. These clinics can also provide care for ankle or wrist sprains, and around 80% of them can also treat bone fractures. The nurse practitioners on staff can provide stitches and bandages for shallow cuts and wounds, and lotion for sunburn or rashes.

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