You never want anything to happen to your children. It’s easy to feel panicked when an emergency happens to your child. You will wonder whether or not to visit the emergency room or an urgent care clinic. It’s common to wonder which service your child needs to go to. In this post, you will learn what to expect at a pediatric urgent care facility.
What is Pediatric Urgent Care
An urgent care clinic is a place where people have their medical issues treated. An urgent care facility commonly treats both adults and children. In some areas, there could be an urgent care that only treats children. One study finds that there are 3 million people visiting urgent care facilities. Urgent care facilities employ medical professionals in an environment similar to your physician’s office. Research shows that there are over 20,000 physicians who currently practice in the field of Urgent Care Medicine.
Visiting Urgent Care or the Emergency Room
Many parents have that uncertain feeling when helping their injured child. It’s easy to panic and forget which conditions should be treated at an urgent care location. In most cases, a child will be seen at an urgent care for most common ailments. Broken bones, fevers, bruises, and sprains are all treated at an urgent care facility. Research shows over 25,000 people in the United States sprain their ankles each day. It’s easy to think that any situation involving your child is an emergency situation. However, many situations that feel like emergencies to you, as a parent, are easily treatable at an urgent care location. You will likely find you spend less time at an urgent care than you would have in an emergency room.
Children need to go to a pediatric emergency room in situations that are life threatening. Difficulty breathing is a condition treated at a pediatric emergency room. In some cases, children who are extremely young may need to be seen at a pediatric emergency room. A parent can rest assured that most minor injuries are easily treatable at an urgent care location.
Benefits of Pediatric Urgent Care
It’s easy to wonder what makes urgent care so great. You’ve likely seen urgent care buildings but maybe you’ve never been inside of one. Knowing how urgent care treatments benefits your family is essential to know. Here are a few special benefits of urgent care treatment.
- Helps to Save Money
Every parent knows that children can be expensive. The cost of food, clothes, and other necessities often piles up. The last thing you want to worry about is a huge emergency room bill. Many parents bring their child to an urgent care facility to lower medical expenses. The cost of an urgent care visit is much easier on a monthly budget than a huge hospital bill. - Short Waiting Times
Having a hurt child is a situation you want over as soon as possible. Parents feel helpless as they sit with their sick child. You might find yourself waiting even longer if you choose to go to an emergency room. Unfortunately, we all know that an emergency room isn’t always the fastest treatment option. In many cases, you will find far less of a wait at your local urgent care facility. The less time you spend waiting, the faster your child will receive the care they need. - Flexible Schedule
Many parents rush to take their child to a pediatric emergency room if it is night time. Many urgent care facilities have extended hours to accommodate patients. Physicians know that pain doesn’t wait to strike during business hours. It makes perfect sense to bring your child to an urgent care facility, even after the sun has gone down.
In closing, it’s important to know what to expect at a pediatric urgent care. These facilities employ medical professionals. A parent will rest assured that their child gets speedy and effective treatment. You will likely enjoy the huge savings in medical bills from visiting an urgent care facility.