When you experience a sudden illness or injury, choose the medical providers best suited to care for your condition quickly and effectively – and ideally, without putting a strain on your finances.

In a perfect world, you might always want to go to your primary care provider with whom you’ve already built a relationship and who has your relevant medical information at hand. Unfortunately, you may need medical care at a time when your doctor’s office is no longer open. It’s even less likely you would be able to get scheduled the same day that you call.

Emergency rooms and urgent care facilities are the preferred after-hours clinics that are equipped to treat everything from flu symptoms to broken bones requiring X-rays and casting, and much more. There are times and situations where one is preferred over the other, and it might be hard to identify which is better place to visit, depending on your situation.

Emergency Rooms (ER)

The ER is the part of a hospital that receives patients via ambulance as well as those who walk in. Emergency rooms are staffed and open 24/7 to treat severe, life-threatening medical problems for sick and dying patients. The best time to choose the ER is when faced with a life-threatening condition. Emergency rooms have extensive medical equipment, as well as resources in the form of doctors, surgeons, nurses, and other specialists ready to diagnose and treat those life-threatening conditions.

ER care comes at a cost, however, and this cost is not just financial. There is often a long wait to receive care at an emergency room – especially if your illness or condition isn’t considered life-threatening. You could be stuck waiting for many hours to get seen and your bill will be much higher than a bill from an urgent care for the exact same services.

Some medical emergencies may require surgery or advanced treatment that can only be performed in the ER. These include:

• Severe allergic reaction with difficulty breathing
• Stroke symptoms
• Severe head injuries
• Severe chest pains
• Uncontrollable bleeding
• Drug overdose

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, or any potentially life-threatening symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away.

Urgent Care

Urgent care clinics are designed to handle a wide variety of medical concerns that are not life-threatening. This includes urgent and preventive care needs. These medical facilities are often open late, and on weekends, and patients can be seen on a walk-in basis, without an appointment. All this is true of Cardinal Urgent Care – plus, we are open 7 days a week.

Urgent care clinics are usually located nearby and always cost significantly less than a visit to the ER. Urgent care visits typically cost less than $200, while ER visits cost on average around $2,000.

Medical issues that can be taken care of at an urgent care clinic include:

• Fevers
• Minor cuts and burns
• Asthma
• Minor allergic reactions
• Animal bites
• Injuries requiring stitches

At Cardinal Urgent Care, we provide urgent care, occupational medicine (care for workers’ comp or on-the-job injuries), physical exams, as well as minor wound care and on-site diagnostic services.

Why Choose Cardinal Urgent Care

Cardinal Urgent Care has many advantages over the ER when you are ill or injured. We are staffed by qualified providers who have extensive emergency medicine experience. We are also open later than your primary care office. We always accept walk-ins and provide same-day appointments. Cardinal Urgent Care is also equipped with a state-of-the-art X-ray machine and a board-certified radiologist to review your film, often within 30 minutes. We have on-site testing for COVID-19, flu, strep, and provide urine screenings as well.

Compared to the local ER, you will find our urgent care clinic to be more affordable, convenient, and we can get you in and out much faster. For quick treatment of acute or chronic conditions or illnesses, simply walk-in during our normal business hours. 

Still not sure if your concern is an urgent matter or requires ER attention? Feel free to call Cardinal Urgent Care in King, North Carolina, at (336) 983-9111. We are happy to answer any questions you have.