Urgent care vs. emergency room: What’s the right choice?
Deciding which care setting is best can be vexing in fraught moments.
- Reviewed by Daniel Sands, MD, MPH, Contributor
When Natalie, 48, noticed her left leg swell dramatically, she knew better than to ignore it. She headed to an urgent care center, hoping clinicians there could figure out the source of the fluid buildup, which was also accompanied by pain, warmth, and redness. But after she waited a couple of hours, a doctor there told her she would need to go to a hospital emergency room (ER) instead.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Daniel Sands, MD, MPH, Contributor
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