November 2016 – IHA Blog

We’ve all been there as patients; sick on the weekend, trip and twist an ankle. What do you do if your primary care doctor is gone for the day or weekend?

Non-life-threatening emergencies can be treated at an urgent care. If you’re having a life-threatening emergency such as chest pain or a serious head injury, a trip to the emergency room is in order.

What is considered an emergency?

severe chest pain or difficulty breathing
compound fracture (bone protrudes through skin)
convulsions, seizures or loss of consciousness
fever in newborn younger than 3 months old
deep knife or gunshot wounds
moderate to severe burns covering a large area of the body
poisoning
severe head, neck or back injury
pregnancy-related problems
severe abdominal pain
signs of a heart attack (chest pain lasting longer than two minutes)
signs of stroke (loss of vision, sudden numbness, weakness, slurred speech)
suicidal or homicidal feelings

What is considered a non-life-threatening urgent medical condition?

accidents and falls resulting in extremity or minor head injury
sprains and strains
back pain
breathing difficulties (mild to moderate asthma)
bleeding/cuts (requiring sutures)
eye irritation and redness
fever or flu
vomiting, diarrhea or dehydration
severe sore throat or cough
minor broken bones and fractures (fingers, toes)
skin rashes and infections
urinary tract infections
mild to moderate allergic reactions
seasonal allergies
headaches

If you’re in doubt, get it checked out. Sometimes you may feel fine after a trip or fall, but could/will feel worse the next day when inflammation and pain set in.

IHA Call Center Triage Nurses and Office Triage Nurses can be utilized to assist in decision making on where to go. Call us first: 734.995.2950

IHA has three urgent care locations and one after hours location, all open after normal work hours and on the weekends, with slightly altered hours on holidays. Click here for a comprehensive service list for our locations.