Chest Pain & EKGs: When Urgent Care Can Help & When to Call 911

Not all chest pain has the same cause or requires the same level of treatment. However, certain chest pain symptoms may indicate a heart attack, stroke, or another life-threatening medical emergency that requires immediate hospital care. In these situations, every minute matters.

Call 911 immediately if you experience:

These symptoms require emergency medical evaluation and should not be assessed at an urgent care clinic. If these symptoms occur, do not drive yourself to urgent care or ask someone else to drive you. Emergency medical services can begin treatment while transporting you to the hospital if needed.

The answer depends on your symptoms, how they began, and whether you have any signs of a medical emergency. 

If your chest pain and other symptoms are mild, stable, and not accompanied by emergency warning signs, urgent care may be an appropriate place to begin your evaluation. 

Your provider can assess your symptoms, perform EKG or other testing, and decide whether your condition can be managed in the urgent care setting or requires referral to the emergency room.

For example, your provider may evaluate chest discomfort that:

• Began gradually rather than suddenly
• Appears to be related to muscle movement or a recent strain
• Occurs with certain positions or movements
• Feels similar to heartburn or acid reflux
• Is not associated with severe shortness of breath, fainting, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw

Chest discomfort isn't a diagnosis, it's a symptom that can have many different causes. Some causes are relatively minor, while others require prompt medical attention.

Possible causes of chest pain include:

Since several of these conditions can produce similar symptoms, it's not always possible to know what's causing the pain based on location, severity, or how it feels.

Rather than trying to determine the cause yourself, it's safest to seek medical evaluation so the appropriate level of care can be determined. Your healthcare provider considers your symptoms, medical history, physical examination, and performs diagnostic testing before recommending treatment.

An electrocardiogram (EKG) is one of the most common tests used when evaluating chest pain or other possible heart-related symptoms.

The test is quick, painless, and non-invasive. Small adhesive electrodes are placed on your chest, arms, and legs to record the heart's electrical activity. The test itself usually takes only a few minutes. An EKG may help identify:

• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Changes that may suggest reduced blood flow to the heart
• Certain electrical abnormalities affecting heart function
• Other findings that may require additional evaluation

An EKG provides valuable information, but it doesn't provide every answer. Your provider interprets the results to determine the most appropriate next steps.

Not everyone who visits urgent care with chest discomfort needs an EKG. Whether an EKG at urgent care is recommended depends on several factors.

Your provider may recommend an EKG if you're experiencing symptoms such as:

One of the most important roles of urgent care is identifying when a patient needs a higher level of medical care. 

After evaluating your symptoms, performing an examination, and reviewing any testing, your provider may recommend immediate evaluation in the emergency room if your condition requires resources that aren't available in an urgent care setting. This may happen if:

• Your symptoms become more concerning during the evaluation.
• Your EKG shows findings that require further investigation.
• Additional cardiac testing or continuous monitoring is needed.
• Your provider believes your symptoms could represent a serious medical condition that requires emergency care.

Being referred to the emergency room doesn't necessarily mean you've had a heart attack or another life-threatening event. It means your provider wants to ensure you receive the most appropriate evaluation and treatment based on your symptoms and test results.