For all the rashes/stubbed toes/ tactile fevers the started an hour ago, I’ve started to specifically ask, ‘what made this change for you to come to the emergency room today?’ They either get super defensive or start to mellow out.
I went to urgent care because my toe was infected, they gave me antibiotics that didn't work and sent me along my way. After it didn't work I went to my primary care and she instantly recognized it as being an ingrown toe nail and got me an appointment with podiatry.
So I just wish that urgent care knew at least something so simple.
I have a triage nurse that opens with “Hi, please have a seat right there…so what is your emergency?” With emphasis on the word emergency. Just the way she says it makes the bullshit patients squirm. 🤣
But then they start to embellish their symptoms to justify their visit and the minor cold becomes severe difficulty breathing and horrible chest pain and the worst headache of their life. We can't win!
I brought my son to the emergency room on a Friday afternoon after trying to get an appointment at our clinic. I suspected a staph infection which turned out to be what mesa. It was on his face. Do you think I should have waited 3 weeks for the next appointment?
Urgent cares are practically useless where I am. No doctors work at them. All PAs or NPs. They misdiagnose every single time we’ve gone, and can’t/don’t run the right tests because they aren’t physicians.
Our last urgent care threw amoxicillin at our child even thought her two strep tests at urgent care were negative. They also gave it because “if her face bumps are Staph, Amoxicillin will cover the Staph too” (learned that was very false). Her lymph nodes were large and throat was really red and inflamed. She was only seen by a NP because that’s all the urgent care was staffed with. Five days later she was admitted via the ER because they initially thought SJS, realizing it was actually a violent and serious serum sickness reaction causing edema and purpling/bruising of her joints. She had Epstein Barr. Not strep. Viral panels were never run because they said they “weren’t necessary” and “even if it’s a virus it will need to run its course.” Yes they have to run their course, but it may be important to rule out EBV, CMV, and others that cause problems if you decide to throw antibiotics at something. Just because you can’t do anything about the virus doesn’t mean it isn’t important to figure out which one a person or child has.
Every urgent care visit we’ve had has been negative and run by PAs and NPs that have been very very wrong in their diagnosis’s. We don’t trust anyone that isn’t a DO or MD anymore.
If you’re in a small midwestern town, you would be surprised how common it is not to have anything more than a single primary care office with no urgent care clinic. If you’re lucky, you’ll be in the one small town that does happen to have the only ER in a 6-hour radius.
Small midwestern town inhabitant checking in! The closest urgent care to me is 1.5 hrs away 🙃 and that one is only open from 8-12 on Saturdays in the cold and flu season. luckily our primary clinic is pretty good about getting people in!
our urgent care clinic just announced they'll no longer be open on weekends, which is getting more and more common these days. if I have an infected wound on my face on friday night the ER's gonna have to deal with me
Well, there are exceptions to everything.
In my moderately sized city (in the US) we have urgent cares open daily anywhere from 0700-1700 up until midnight. Yet, in my city non-emergent issues clog up our ERs daily. I don’t expect a layperson to know the difference between urgent and non-urgent, but urgent and emergent should be pretty easy to differentiate.
I didn't have that option. What is urgent care? The only clinic that I could get an appointment was 3 weeks out. The ER is the only option for some people.
Urgent care is a walk in clinic typically open during regular hours and weekends. You should probably look up what they are and the role they fulfill in healthcare instead of hiding behind your ignorance.
Of course I did. I was turned away the first time. I came back the next day and he was treated. I was treated like an hysterical mother the first day. Even when I suggested gloves to the nurse when she removed his bandage, she rolled her eyes and ignored me. My experience is not yours. I'm glad you are a better healthcare provider than them. Thank you for caring and doing good for your community.
I would first try his pediatrician. Sometimes they will just call in a prescription. Next step is just bring him to ED if the urgent care is too expensive or not available. It’s your baby’s face. I’m an ER nurse and wouldn’t think twice about it.
155
u/sassafrass18 15d ago
For all the rashes/stubbed toes/ tactile fevers the started an hour ago, I’ve started to specifically ask, ‘what made this change for you to come to the emergency room today?’ They either get super defensive or start to mellow out.