One of parents’ biggest concerns is the health of their children. So it's natural that many parents struggle with whether they should look after their children at home or take them into an urgent care clinic when they become sick or injured. The decision about whether to visit an urgent care clinic often comes down to the severity of the particular situation.

Children don’t usually become seriously ill without warning. Kids are resilient and often bounce back from illnesses, infections and injuries quickly. Yet parents know their children best, and they know when there is something seriously wrong. Parents are very capable of dealing with the most common minor infections and injuries their children suffer. Parents can usually manage minor scrapes and cuts, bruises and even colds and flus based on their knowledge, a little common sense and a lot of tender loving care. But parents need to know when they should seek the attention of an emergency room or urgent care clinic.

The rule of thumb is this: When a child has suffered an injury or illness that you think might threaten his or her long-term health or lead to permanent harm, it’s time to seek urgent care.

What is an emergency?

You need to take your child to an emergency room or an urgent care clinic immediately for any of these situations:

• unconsciousness or unresponsiveness when spoken to
• any loss of consciousness after a head injury, especially if it is accompanied by vomiting, disorientation, confusion or increasing pain
• seizures, usually shown by rapid, rhythmic jerking or stiffness
• trouble breathing
• skin or lips that look blue, gray or purple
• high fever with neck stiffness
• pain that is persistent and severe or increasing
• cuts to the head, abdomen or chest, or that are deep or large elsewhere on the body with extensive bleeding
• bleeding that does not stop after applying pressure
• a large burn, or a burn to the groin, face, feet, hands or chest
• severe hand injuries, which can lead to permanent disability if untreated

Other situations requiring an urgent care clinic

Although it is rare for children to develop a severe illness without any warning signs, there are some symptoms that should alert parents to take their child to urgent care:

• ear infections, sinus infections, pneumonia or bacterial bronchitis with a fever over 101 degrees for more than five days
• wheezing with trouble breathing
• rapid and labored breathing
• extreme lethargy or uncharacteristic tiredness
• any eye injuries
• seeing bright, dark or cloudy areas
• persistent chest pain
• repeated vomiting
• paralysis or weakness
• testicular swelling or pain
• change in skin tone
• not drinking or passing urine, which can be signs of dehydration
• persistent dizziness
• flu symptoms that improve but then return with fever and a cough

Sports injuries

One of the most dangerous remedies to sports injuries is the phrase "walk it off." Parents of children who participate in high-energy sports such as soccer, hockey, football, track and even baseball need to be aware of common injuries that require a trip to urgent care.

A similar phrase is “no pain, no gain.” This is a myth, and it is especially dangerous for children. Head injuries are common in many sports, and parents as well as health care professionals now understand how hazardous they can be.

After a sports injury, watch for these symptoms:

• head pain, dizziness or light-headedness, which can be signs of a concussion
• limping or pain when putting weight on one foot, which can indicate a sprain
• difficulty standing, sitting or moving normally
• tingling, numbness or weakness in limbs, fingers or toes
• sharp pain during physical activity
• difficulty sleeping after activity, which can be another sign of concussion.

With any of these symptoms, take your child to an urgent care clinic.

When in doubt, err on the side of caution

Kids do recover quickly, but if you have any doubt or questions about the seriousness of an illness or injury, don’t hesitate to seek the services of an urgent care clinic in West Valley Utah. Contact FirstMed Urgent Care Clinic for more information.

It’s late on a weekend night. The stores and the doctor’s office are long closed, then someone you love cuts themselves deeply, or trips and sprains their ankle. Or perhaps your baby gets a sudden, high fever. They need medical care — but do they need to go to the local hospital emergency room, with its long wait times, or the urgentcare clinic?

Knowing what urgent care is and what its strengths are will help you make that crucial decision between urgent care and emergency medical care. When the health of you or your family is at stake, understanding the differences in facility care types is critical.

What is urgent care?

Urgent care is another term for urgent care. It’s a place where you can get immediate medical attention for an illness or injury when your family physician’s office is closed, during weekends, evenings and holidays.

Hospital emergency rooms are often crowded with people who do not need the full range of health and emergency resources available there. urgent care is the right choice when you or someone you know needs immediate medical attention for an issue that is serious, but not life-threatening. Turning to urgent care allows the emergency room to devote its resources to the people who need them most.

Many people feel confused by the difference between emergency care and urgent care. Both refer to issues that need attention quickly. But there are clear distinctions between the two.

Hospital emergency rooms are set up and staffed for the most complex and critical situations, including life-threatening situations like trauma from a car accident, heart attack or stroke.

Urgent care clinics or urgent care clinics are for illnesses or injuries you would normally take to your primary health care provider, when they’re available. These include:

• -injuries from falls;
• -minor bone fractures, such as in fingers or toes;
• -cuts that are not bleeding heavily, but still require stitches to close;
• -sprains and strains;
• -fever or flu;
• -infections;
• -vomiting, diarrhea or dehydration;
• -eye irritation;
• -mild breathing difficulties, such as caused by asthma;
• -severe sore throat or cough;
• -skin rashes, and;
• -urinary tract infections.

When to go to the hospital emergency department

Although an urgent care facility can handle some of the following, hospital emergency rooms are well-equipped to treat:

• -symptoms of heart attack, which are chest pain that lasts longer than two minutes accompanied by difficulty breathing;
• -symptoms of stroke, which are loss of vision, sudden numbness, muscle weakness, slurred speech or confusion;
• -serious head injury;
• -compound bone fractures — where the bone protrudes through the skin;
• -moderate to serious burns;
• -heavy, uncontrollable bleeding;
• -fevers in newborns under three months old;
• -poisoning;
• -severe abdominal pain;
• -difficulty breathing, and;
• -suicidal feelings.

Urgent care clinics can set smaller bones, such as fingers and toes, stitch deep cuts and provide counselling.

There is one other important difference that impacts nearly everyone, no matter the type of care they are getting, and that's the cost. While averages can vary widely, hospital emergency room services are always much more expensive than urgent care clinics — up to seven times more.

What to bring with you

You can prepare for emergencies, whether they require urgent care or the hospital emergency room by keeping lists of the medical profile of each person in your household. This should include:

• -all allergies and long-term medical conditions;
• -all surgeries and other major medical treatments they’ve had, and;
• -all medications they take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, vitamins and supplements.

Urgent care providers need this information to make the right diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment. Having it ready to go when an urgent health issue arises can save precious seconds, seconds that might make a difference.

We’re here for you

Don't ever forget that FirstMed Urgent Care Clinic is here for you when you need urgent care in West Jordan Utah.

The number of urgent care clinics in the U.S. is growing because they answer a need in the community: medical care and treatment that responds to what you need at the moment. The urgent care clinic is set up to treat things like ear, eye or skin infections, sprains and strains and injuries that require immediate treatment but are not life-threatening.

It can be confusing. How do you decide between your primary care physician (also known as your family doctor), the hospital emergency room and urgent care?

Your primary care doctor is the first place you go for health care, services and advice. This is where you receive your regular check-ups, and it’s the primary care physician’s job to coordinate specialized services, advice and information on family health. This is the doctor you turn to for your long-term health issues and concerns as you advance through key life stages.

An urgent clinic is for those times when you need health care or treatment immediately, but it’s not life-threatening. This can include persistent coughs, strange rashes, eye or throat infections, nausea and vomiting — the list goes on. These clinics are able to treat some long-term conditions, such as asthma and back pain. First Med clinics also provide occupational medical services, such as drug and alcohol testing and physical evaluations for employers, sports and school.

If you have a broken leg, an urgent care clinic may splint the injury and then send you by ambulance to a hospital emergency room. On the other hand, these clinics are not the place to take someone who is having a heart attack. In other words, the urgent care clinic can provide a complete range of treatment for minor illnesses, sprains and strains, and on-the-job injuries, as long as there's no threat to life.

Benefits of urgent care

• Availability. They’re open every day and into the evening, so they’re ready when you have an issue, even when your family doctor is not.
• Range of services. Urgent care clinics are equipped and ready to deal with whatever your situation may be, from a sprain to a rash, a fever or an infection.
• Affiliations with hospitals. Most clinics have affiliations with local hospitals and can refer you for the follow-up care you may need.

When to choose your family doctor

While the urgent care clinic is available when you need it, it’s not a substitute for your regular primary care doctor. Your family doctor knows your medical history: your allergies, previous injuries and illnesses, and medical preferences. Your primary doctor is also the right choice for regular, annual medical check-ups, continuing care, information and advice on long-term issues or to renew prescriptions.

Remember that the co-pay for a visit to your primary care doctor is usually much less than that of a visit to the hospital emergency room.

When to choose First Med

Look to urgent care in West Jordan Utah when you need medical attention outside of regular office hours. For example, if you sprain your ankle, fall off a ladder at work, or develop a sudden fever or rash. They’re also suitable for treating flus and colds, or if your child has an ear infection.

When to choose the hospital ER

Emergency rooms are for treating urgent, acute and life-threatening conditions, such as a heart attack or stroke, gunshot or knife wounds, severe limb, back or head injuries or anything else that may have a long-term or life-threatening implication.

Spring is around the corner, and it’s time for people to get outside, clean up the lawn and garden and fix winter’s damage. It’s also a time when accidents and visits to the urgent care clinic spike: falls off ladders, sprains, cuts and sometimes serious injuries that may require professional treatment at an urgent care clinic.

Usually, these types of incidents require immediate treatment on the spot. Here are some first aid tips everyone should know to treat an accident victim before taking them to an urgent care clinic.

Cuts and wounds

A minor cut can usually be treated at home with a little soap and warm water and a bandage. But a major wound can require professional care.

How do you tell whether someone near year has a minor or major wound? There are clear signs. A scrape may ooze blood slowly, but a cut with flowing blood will need a trip to the urgent care clinic.

Remove any debris or foreign objects from the wound. If it’s a minor cut, wash gently with warm water and soap. Don’t apply disinfectant into the wound — that will only cause pain without having any benefit. If the victim is suffering a wound where the blood flow pulses, it’s an arterial cut, and potentially fatal.

Don’t hesitate. Remove any foreign objects or debris from the wound, and press a bandage, gauze or clean cloth against it. If you cannot find a clean cloth, use whatever’s at hand. Call for an ambulance and don’t move the victim.

Burns

There are three degrees of burns. A first-degree burn affects just the top layer of skin. You can tell it’s a first-degree burn when the skin is reddened and painful, but not blistered. As the skin heals, it can peel.

To treat first-degree burns, run cold water over the area to bring down the temperature. Make sure the affected area is clean, to avoid infection, but don’t wipe it with cotton balls. The little fibers can stick to the burned skin, encouraging infection.

Give the victim over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. You can apply anesthetic gel or cream to soothe the pain, and protect it with loose gauze.

Don’t apply ice because this can make the damage worse. Also avoid the legendary home remedies of butter or margarine to the wound. They just don’t do anything.

Seek professional medical care if the burn is larger than three inches across, or on the face, knee, foot, spine, or other major joint.

A second-degree burn penetrates beyond the top layer and causes blisters and thickening of the skin. The blisters can break, increasing the risk of infection.

To treat them, run cold water over the burn for at least 15 minutes to cool it. Administer over-the-counter pain relief, and apply antibiotic cream.

Take the victim to the urgent care clinic if the burn is large, or affects the face, hands, buttocks, groin or feet.

Third-degree burns penetrate through all layers of the skin. You can tell them by a waxy, white or a dark brown color, or charring of the skin, and a raised, leathery texture without blisters. These will cause severe scarring unless they receive medical treatment.

Do not try to treat a third-degree burn yourself. Call 911 immediately, then make sure there is no clothing sticking to the burn. Raise the injury over the level of the heart.

Falls

Falls from ladders, roofs and stairs can lead to sprains and breaks. A sprain is over-stretching, or tearing to a tendon or ligament, while a break is a fracture to bone. Both can cause swelling.

You can tell it’s a sprain when there is pain around the soft tissues, but not on the. Pain in the boney area of the ankle, for instance, indicates a break. A sure sign of a break is that the person is not able to put any weight on it.

The treatment is RICE: rest, ice, compression and elevation. Help the victim to rest comfortably. At least 24 hours of rest for the sprained joint is essential. Apply ice to reduce pain and swelling, but never apply ice directly to the skin — that hurts. Make an ice pack in a plastic bag, then wrap it in a towel to apply to the injury.

You can apply a compression bandage on a sprain, and then elevate the sprained joint above the level of the heart. You could put pillows under the foot as the victim lies on a bed or couch. Whether it’s a sprain or a break, you should take the victim to an urgent care clinic as quickly as possible.

Heart attack

Heart attacks are the cause of one in seven deaths in the United States. They’re caused by a blockage of arteries that lead to the heart. Symptoms include pressure, pain or squeezing sensation in the chest, back, jaw or neck; nausea, indigestion or abdominal pain; shortness of breath; cold sweat; fatigue; and light-headedness or sudden dizziness.

Symptoms can appear suddenly, but there are advance warnings days or weeks in advance, such as recurring chest pain that can be relieved by rest.

When you see someone with the signs of heart attack, call 911 immediately. Don’t hesitate. Start CPR — cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. If the victim is conscious, take them to the urgent care centre or emergency room as quickly as possible.

Learn first aid, but just in case, an urgent care clinic is here for you