Urgent Care for Kids Q&A

Urgent care clinics are ideal if you are in need of care for minor medical problems or medical problems that aren’t life-threatening. Urgent care clinics also provide services like X-rays, EKGs, and some lab testing. They can provide vaccinations, and physicals and some even provide primary care. These clinics are becoming more popular as they provide efficient and cost-effective medical services.

Urgent care clinics are also providing options for people who do not have primary care doctors. They are very good for people who need care outside of normal doctor’s office hours. They also create less demand for emergency rooms, as they take on more care the many people have had at ERs in the past.

Deciding if it is better to go to an urgent care clinic or an ER will depend on the severity of your medical condition.

Urgent care clinics are limited in what kind of care they can provide. They are good at treating medical problems that need attention before your normal doctor’s office opens. They are not designed to treat very serious or life-threatening medical problems.

Urgent care clinics treat medical issues like:

– Strep throat
– Cold and flu
– UTIs (urinary tract infections)
– Burns
– Bug stings
– Allergic reactions that aren’t life-threatening
– Cuts and lacerations that aren’t bleeding excessively
– Broken bones
– Sprains and strains
– Diarrhea and dehydration
– Vomiting
– Mild asthma attacks

For major emergencies go to an ER. Situations that probably require a trip to the ER include:

– Shortness of breath or chest pain
– Loss of consciousness
– Severe headache
– Confusion
– Severe dizziness
– Severe vomiting
– Bleeding that won’t stop
– Difficulty breathing
– Complicated fractures, such as broken emerging from the skin
– Stroke symptoms, such as weakness, numbness, drooping face, slurred speech, loss of balance, or loss of vision
– Severe allergic reactions, that include swelling of the lips or trouble breathing or swallowing
– Multiple injuries
– Head injuries
– Vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain during pregnancy

If you decide to go to an urgent care clinic for these serious conditions you may lose valuable time getting your medical needs met. Urgent care clinics probably won’t have the equipment needed to treat these types of serious conditions and you will be sent to an ER.

When your child is injured or sick, you want them to be better as soon as possible. Children will get sick as they grow and encounter life. Many parents will take their children to an ER when their pediatrician isn’t available. For certain illnesses and injuries, it is better to take them to a pediatric urgent care. You are more likely to get fast relief at an urgent care than at an ER.

Here are some of the most commonly treated children’s conditions at an urgent care clinic:

– Earaches and ear infections
– Allergies
– Bug bites
– Strep throat
– Sprains, strains, and broken bones
– Pink eye
– Colds and flu
– Diarrhea and dehydration

The differences between pediatric urgent care and adult urgent care are subtle. Pediatric urgent care clinics will specialize in treating sick and hurt children. They will have pediatricians on staff. 

Adult urgent care centers will treat adults with illnesses and injuries. Some of these clinics will also be set up to care for children. However, there are urgent care clinics that will only treat adults.

The team and Walking Urgent Care clinic facility offers an alternative to expensive emergency rooms. The welfare of your entire family is our priority. We are open seven days a week to help you and your loved ones when you need it. We serve patients from Coral Springs FL, North Lauderdale FL, Parkland FL, Tamarac FL, Margate FL, and Coconut Creek FL.