Minor Injury Treatment: Urgent Care Or Emergency Room?

Wondering what to do when needing minor injury treatment? Examples of minor injuries include sprains, strains, insect bites, animal bites, minor cuts and allergic reactions. When someone is experiencing a minor injury, treatment is often necessary.

Treating minor injuries

Learning when minor injury treatment is necessary is important, as not all minor injuries require medical attention. When someone is in doubt whether or not their minor injury is in need of professional care and treatment, being on the safe side requires seeking professional medical care. Because it can be difficult for someone to know whether they are in need of urgent care treatment or emergency room treatment, understanding when it is necessary to go to each type of facility is essential.

Urgent care services vs. emergency room treatment

It is important for everyone to understand the differences between facilities that provide health care services. While urgent care facilities are limited to the type of care they can provide for their patients, they are an ideal choice for addressing many different types of minor injuries. Hospital emergency rooms have more access to treatment services, allowing them to treat patients who have a major injury.

Urgent care

Urgent care facilities often treat people who have experienced a minor injury. This type of facility is one that tends to be very convenient, as most urgent care facilities open early in the morning, close late during the evening time and Are open over the weekend. While those who are in need of minor injury treatment can make an appointment to visit an urgent care facility, it is also possible to simply walk in and be seen by a medical professional.

Examples of minor injuries that can be addressed by medical professionals who work at an urgent care facility include deep bruises, skin lesions, bone fractures, shallow cuts that do not expose any muscle or bone and allergic reactions to anything, including food and pollen.

Emergency room

Hospital emergency rooms can also treat people who have experienced a minor injury. This type of facility is one that is always open, making it convenient for those who are in need of treatment when other facilities are closed. Emergency rooms do not take appointments and instead require patients to walk in and let the intake person know what their current emergency is. While emergency rooms are often the treatment option for addressing life-threatening situations, those who are experiencing a minor injury can also walk into an Emergency room and receive treatment.

Examples of minor injuries that can be addressed by medical professionals who work in a hospital's emergency room include any type of minor injury that affects the head or eye, when a minor burn starts to become worse and when a minor injury is combined with an additional problem, like chest pain or confusion.

Bottom Line

Are you in need of minor injury treatment? Now that the above information has been read, it should be understood when it is necessary to go to an urgent care center and when it is necessary to go to an emergency room for treatment. Since it can be difficult for someone to know what to do when experiencing a minor injury, making a list of what to do and who to contact when someone has experienced a minor injury is a great idea.

Request an appointment here: https://eldridgeclinic.com or call Eldridge Family Clinic at (281) 946-1351 for an appointment in our Houston office.

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