When your child isn’t feeling well, everything can seem like an emergency, but rushing off to an emergency room may not be your best bet: you’ll likely face long wait times as more pressing emergencies are treated before your child, and you’re certainly going to pay more for the same level of care. According to Consumer Reports, a trip to the ER typically costs three times as much as treatment at an urgent care facility like Pediatric Urgent Care of Northern Colorado.
Knowing the difference between an ER-worthy situation and one that’s more affordably treated in an urgent care clinic can mean savings of hundreds of dollars. Familiarize yourself with the difference between everyday illnesses and life-threatening conditions to ensure your child receives the best level of care at the best price.
Emergency: Respiratory Distress
Conditions such as severe allergic reactions or pneumonia can drastically interfere with the lungs’ ability to provide oxygen to the body, and should be treated like the life-threatening condition they are.
Urgency: Wheezing or Asthma
While it’s always important to treat your child’s symptoms of asthma quickly, urgent care clinics can provide the treatments they need at a portion of the cost.
Emergency: Head Trauma
A severe head injury can require immediate neurological care that urgent care centers can’t offer.
Urgency: Head Colds
Colds, minor pneumonia or bronchitis aren’t life threatening and are easily manageable by working with urgent care staff.
Emergency: Amputation
When extremities are severed or nearly severed, surgeons must work fast to staunch bleeding.
Urgency: Fractures and Strains
Broken or sprained extremities are never fun, but don’t require an operating room for treatment, making them perfectly suited for urgent care.
Emergency: Unconsciousness
Loss of consciousness is often a symptom of a life-threatening injury, and unconscious patients need the full support of an ER.
Urgency: Vomiting or Diarrhea
While severe gastrointestinal distress is never enjoyable, it’s rarely life threatening. Our team can help your child remain hydrated and treat other symptoms without the ER price tag.