Emergency and Trauma - ER and Urgent Care
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When to go to the ER
Unexpected things happen in life. Severe flu symptoms, sprained wrists, heart attacks and strokes; they all need medical attention. But how do you know when urgent care is enough for an illness or injury and when an emergency department visit is needed?
The emergency department sees patients with conditions and injuries that need immediate attention. These may include:
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Broken bones or dislocated joints
- Facial lacerations
- Deep skin abrasions or severe cuts requiring stitches
- Vaginal bleeding with pregnancy
- Fevers and rash
- Head and eye injuries
- Severe flu and cold symptoms
- Sudden change in mental state
Scripps offers four emergency room locations in San Diego. Knowing where to go can help you get the most appropriate level of care as quickly as possible. If you’re ever unsure about which of the two to choose, it’s generally best to go to the emergency department. Whenever a situation is life-threatening, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Urgent Care
Common situations for an urgent care visit include:
- A condition that requires immediate care but is not considered life-threatening
- The onset of the condition is gradual and mild
- The diagnosis is known (for example, a urinary tract infection)
- You are otherwise healthy with no underlying medical conditions
- You can drive yourself to the center
- Common sprain
- Cough with runny nose
- Sore throat
- Urinary tract infection
- Mild asthma
- Rash without fever
- Broken bone at the wrist, hand, ankle or foot (with intact skin and no obvious need to reset bone)
Scripps offers three urgent care locations in San Diego. Learn more about urgent care services at Scripps.