Minor Emergency Clinic in Lutz, and New Port Richey, FL

It can be difficult to know the difference between a minor emergency and a serious one. Still, it’s important to know this difference so you can make the right call in going to an emergency room or an urgent care clinic. Small emergencies are generally those that require medical attention within 24 hours but are not considered life-threatening. The reason such injuries or illnesses are still considered minor emergencies is that they can lead to unwanted complications if you do not receive prompt medical care for them.

Some of these injuries and illnesses include:

– Dislocations, fractures, sprains, and strains
– Shallow abrasions, cuts, and lacerations
– First- and second-degree burns covering a small area of the body
– Mild asthma attacks
– Bacterial infections requiring antibiotics
– Urinary tract infections
– Abdominal pain
– Dizziness
– Severe back pain
– Eye infections, irritations, or pain
– Ear infections or pain
– Gastrointestinal issues

As Urgent Care & Wellness Center is an urgent care clinic, it does not provide the exact same services as an emergency room. For example, while emergency rooms treat life-threatening medical emergencies, urgent care clinics do not. Rather, urgent care clinics specialize in treating injuries and illnesses that are serious enough that they need prompt treatment but do not pose a threat to your life or permanent function.

There are benefits to urgent care clinics functioning in this way. If you’ve ever been to an emergency room for a minor injury or illness that couldn’t wait for the next opening with your primary care doctor, you’ve likely been subject to long wait times before seeing a doctor. The reason for these long wait times is that emergency room doctors have to prioritize patients with life-threatening medical emergencies over those with less-threatening medical concerns.

Since urgent care clinics don’t treat patients with life-threatening medical emergencies, they are able to see patients with less-threatening medical concerns more quickly. Urgent care clinics still prioritize patients according to the severity of their injury but are able to operate on a first-come, first-served basis more often than emergency rooms because they see less severe medical cases.

There are many signs of an emergency. Four common signs include:

– Difficulty breathing
– Excessive bleeding that won’t stop
– Injury to your back, neck, or head
– Severe chest pain

If you experience any of these signs of a major emergency, you should call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room immediately.

At Urgent Care & Wellness Center, we manage emergency cases according to their severity. If the patient is experiencing a minor emergency, one of our doctors will see them promptly after they arrive at our clinic. On the other hand, if the patient is experiencing a major emergency that is either life-threatening or could significantly alter their quality of life, we will redirect them to the nearest emergency room via ambulance. We will provide emergency first aid until the ambulance arrives to transport the patient to the hospital emergency department.

At Urgent Care & Wellness Center, our providers can deliver high-quality medical care at a moment’s notice to you if you experience a minor medical emergency. Contact us for more information about our services, schedule an appointment online, or visit our clinic for a walk-in appointment. We serve patients from Lutz FL, New Port Richey FL, Land O’ Lakes FL, Cheval FL, Greater Northdale FL, Greater Carrollwood FL, River Ridge FL, Seven Springs FL, Port Richey FL, Bayonet Point FL, Hudson FL, and Elfers FL.