Urgent care center or ED: Where should you go?
Making a quick decision about medical care is stressful, especially when you or a loved one needs help fast. For sudden illness or injury, should you head to an urgent care center or the emergency department (ED)?
Urgent care centers and emergency departments both provide services like X-rays and blood tests. But for sudden illness or injury, the choice between urgent care and the ED depends on how serious the problem is.
When to go to urgent care?
Urgent care is for illnesses and injuries that need prompt medical attention but are not life-threatening. Urgent care is typically provided by doctors and nurse practitioners.
Common reasons to visit urgent care include:
- Flu, colds, viruses and the flu
- Strep throat, ear infections and allergic reactions
- Minor cuts, lacerations and burns
- Muscle aches, strains and sprains
- Splints and stitches
- Stomach ailments and respiratory illnesses
- X-Rays and electrocardiograms (EKGs)
- Flu and tetanus shots; physicals for work, camp, sports and drivers' licenses
Urgent care center locations near you
Urgent care centers provide high-quality care, especially during times when your doctor's office is closed. Main Line Health Urgent Care has locations in the Philadelphia region in:
If a patient needs more intense care, Main Line Health hospitals are close to our urgent care centers, so we can easily transfer you to our emergency department.
Urgent care hours
Our urgent care centers provide coverage for the region every day of the year. All our locations are open:
- Evenings: 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.
- Weekends: 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. or later
- Holidays: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., unless otherwise noted
When to go to an emergency department (ED)?
Emergency departments are equipped to treat life-threatening or very serious conditions.
Go to the ED, or call 911, if you experience:
- Heart attack
- Major trauma
- Numbness in the face, arm or leg
- Difficulty speaking
- Coughing or vomiting blood
- Severe shortness of breath
- Uncontrolled or excessive bleeding
- Severe headache or burns
- Poisoning
- Confusion, lethargy and changes in mental status
- Changes or loss of vision
- Chest pain
- Significant abdominal pain
- Behavioral emergencies, such as suicidal or homicidal feelings
ED locations near you
Main Line Health has four emergency departments located at:
ED hours
All our ED locations are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (24/7).
Do not wait for care
While urgent care centers and emergency departments offer different levels of care, don't wait too long to decide where to go.
Always call 911 so emergency professionals can take you safely to the hospital if you are having life-threatening symptoms like:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Any of the serious signs listed above
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
When should I go to urgent care for flu or a bad cold?
Go to urgent care if you have the following cold or flu-like symptoms:
- Fever: Body temperature typically higher than 98.6 °F (37 °C) *
- Chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Fatigue
*A normal body temperature varies from person to person. Monitor what is above normal for you or your loved ones.
When should I go to the ED for severe symptoms?
Go to the ED for severe symptoms, such as:
- Chest/heart pain
- Stroke signs
- Severe bleeding
- Struggling to breathe
Is there 24-hour urgent care in the Main Line region?
Main Line Health provides urgent care 365 days a year. Our convenient hours start at 9 a.m. daily and go until 9 p.m. on weeknights and 4 p.m. on weekends. Some of our locations have extended hours beyond that.
If you need care for something life-threatening after urgent care is closed, our ED locations are open 24/7.
What can urgent care do vs ED?
Go to urgent care for:
- Minor illnesses or injuries: Cold, flu, minor burns, small fractures
- Non-life-threatening pain or injuries: Sprains, minor cuts, ear pain
- Routine screenings and care: EKGs, X-rays, blood tests, physicals, flu shots
Go to ED for:
- Life-threatening or serious pain or injuries: Chest pain, stroke symptoms, major trauma, etc.
- Pediatric emergencies: Life-threatening or severe symptoms or trauma in a child
Next steps
Find an urgent care center and virtually join the waitlist
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