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Breaks, Strains, and Sprains: Walk-In Urgent Clinic or ER?

Strains, sprains, and fractures may occur because of incorrect form or technique, insufficient equipment, or just an accident. The question is: Should you go to a walk-in urgent care clinic or head straight to the emergency room?

Where should you seek medical attention for a sudden injury? Let’s talk about how to choose one over the other, and where you can go in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach for a handy walk-in urgent care clinic.

Walk-In Clinic vs. ER for Common Injuries

This is your rule of thumb for these injuries:

  • A sprain is a tear or pull of a ligament, which is the tissue connecting bone to bone
  • A strain is a tear or pull of a muscle or a tendon, which is the tissue connecting muscle to bone
  • A fracture is a broken bone of any kind, from mild (hairline fracture) to a shattered bone

If your pain or the symptom is mild, a walk-in clinic is your best bet. However, a total tear of a ligament, tendon, or muscle (a severe sprain or strain) or a severe fracture will instantly be debilitating, and this warrants treatment at an emergency room.

What Is a Walk-In Urgent Care Clinic?

A walk-in urgent clinic is a medical facility that provides relatively quick treatment for acute illnesses and minor injuries. They are best for handling health conditions or injuries that require prompt medical attention but are not life-threatening. If you sustain a mild sprain, strain, or fracture, you can get help from a walk-in urgent care center.

These walk-in facilities are equipped with medical and diagnostic equipment. If you suspect you may have sustained a musculoskeletal injury, the medical staff can conduct X-rays and other imaging tests to confirm the diagnosis. Once they have ascertained the damage, the medical staff may give you a splint or bandage to wear. They will also provide you with instructions on how to take care of yourself to speed up your recovery.

In addition to minor musculoskeletal injuries, a walk-in clinic can help with:

  • Colds and flu
  • Cuts and lacerations
  • Minor car accident injuries or post-accident evaluations (cuts, scrapes, bruises, whiplash, or evaluation for underlying injury)
  • Diarrhea and constipation
  • Dislocations
  • Earache
  • Headache
  • Fever
  • Infections
  • Insect bites
  • Mild allergic reactions
  • Minor burns
  • Splinters
  • Vomiting

When Should I Go to the ER?

On the other hand, you should head to an emergency room if you experience severe or possibly life-threatening symptoms. For example, while a walk-in urgent clinic can handle simple fractures, you would need to go to an ER for complex fractures – such as a broken bone with a visible deformity, or if the bone is pushing through the skin. This will require minor surgery to repair the bone internally, rather than just with a cast.

A hospital’s emergency room is equipped with complex equipment and high-level technology that can address these concerns. Here are situations when going to an ER is more appropriate:

  • Breathing issues
  • Choking
  • Deep or large wounds
  • Fainting
  • Head and neck injuries
  • High fever
  • Seizures
  • Serious burns
  • Severe allergic reaction
  • Severe pain anywhere in the body
  • Uncontrolled bleeding

Walk-In Clinic in Wellington

If you’re looking for a Wellington walk-in clinic, look no further than the Advanced Medical Clinic. We are a primary care clinic also providing high-quality walk-in services.

Unlike other Wellington walk-in clinics, you will receive expert service and compassionate care from primary care physicians. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, call us today at (561) 434-1935 or fill out our online appointment request form. We also have an office in Royal Palm Beach for your convenience. We look forward to serving you and your family!

When to visit a walk-in clinic vs. emergency room

Sometimes, you just need immediate medical treatment for a non-life-threatening condition. Whether it’s a cough, cold, fever, eye or ear infection, insect bite, or skin allergies, non-life-threatening is not necessarily non-life-affecting. These conditions can prevent you from going about your day normally and resting.

There are healthcare care facilities in Wellington, Florida, that have extended hours and are open on weekends where you can receive prompt medical care without having to make an appointment. They are called walk-in clinics, and they serve your medical needs for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries.

Walk-In Clinic vs. Emergency Room

You may be wondering, “How about the emergency room?” When doctors’ clinics are closed, there is the option of the emergency room. If you have visited the emergency room for a medical condition that is considered a non-emergency, chances are, you had to wait a long time to be seen, or you were asked to wait to see your primary care doctor during regular hours.

Triage nurses in emergency rooms will assess your condition and determine its severity. Patients with conditions that are considered non-emergencies tend to have longer waits. Moreover, emergency room visits are expensive. You could receive treatment for a wound and be billed a shockingly high amount, which is largely the facility fee. All in all, it is better to save emergency room visits for true emergencies.

When to Visit an ER:

You should visit an ER when you have severe, life-threatening symptoms. Examples include:

  • High fever
  • Choking
  • Breathing issues
  • Passing out or fainting
  • Head and neck injuries
  • Complex fractures (there is evidence of deformity or bone pushing through the skin)
  • Severe pain anywhere in the body
  • Serious burns
  • Deep wounds
  • Severe bleeding
  • Severe allergic reaction;  anaphylaxis
  • Numbness, weakness, or drooping on one side of the body

These are symptoms of life-threatening illnesses and injuries, suggesting a medical emergency, and should be treated in an emergency care facility.

When to Visit a Walk-In Clinic:

A wide range of non-life-threatening conditions can be treated at a walk-in clinic. Examples include:

  • Headaches
  • Sinus infections
  • Eye infection
  • Ear infections
  • Colds and flu
  • Strep throat
  • Sore throat
  • Tonsillitis
  • Fever
  • Insect bites
  • Mild skin allergy reaction or rashes
  • Small cuts, blisters, or wounds
  • Mild sprains and fractures
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal pain

A walk-in clinic can also provide other services, such as DOT physicals, women’s health exams, such as Pap smears, as well as vaccinations and immunizations.

Wellington Walk-In Clinic

The decision to visit a walk-in clinic can save you time and money. Patients are advised to find out ahead of time their options for care to be better prepared. If you are seeking urgent care for your medical condition, visit the Advanced Medical clinic in Wellington. We are a primary care clinic providing walk-in care. Unlike other Wellington walk-in clinics, at Advanced Medical, you will receive care from expert primary care doctors.

The Advanced Medical clinic is located in the Palomino Park complex on Hwy 44. We also have a location in Royal Palm Beach, at 1236 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. If you have any questions, give us a call at (561) 434-1935. We look forward to providing for your urgent medical needs!

Most Common Injuries You Can Have Treated At A Walk-In Clinic

A walk-in clinic is a place you can go to receive urgent treatment for a non-life-threatening injury. This facility is built for your convenience and is open for longer hours with the ability to receive patients with little or no wait time and without an appointment.

You know all too well that small accidents can happen at night or on weekends, which can mean a trip to the emergency room, or it could mean waiting until you can see a doctor for it. Common injuries are not a priority in the ER. Plus, it’s expensive getting treated there for common injuries. Whereas waiting to see a doctor may not give you peace of mind, and the symptoms can be overwhelming.

It pays to know your options for the next time you or a family member sustains an injury or medical emergency that is not life-threatening. Find out what common injuries can be treated at a walk-in clinic.

Injuries Treated at a Walk-in Clinic

Walk-in clinics vary in the services they provide. A walk-in clinic providing quality urgent care services should be able to treat patients with the following injuries:

  • Cuts and lacerations – open wounds can be cleaned and stitched shut to prevent infection and to assist with healing.
  • Sprains and strains – severe sprains and strains need stabilization and the use of bandages and splints.
  • Splinters – removal of foreign objects to prevent damage from infection and internal damage.
  • Fractures – fractures need to be immobilized with a brace, cast, or splint to encourage proper healing of the injury and to reduce pain and swelling.
  • Dislocations – a dislocated shoulder can be manipulated back into place and immobilized for the healing process to begin.
  • Burns – first-degree burns, where the skin is red but not blistering, can be cleaned and treated in a walk-in clinic. Burn ointment can be applied to prevent infection and provide relief from pain.
  • Car accident injuries such as cuts, scrapes, bruises, and whiplash – the providers at a walk-in clinic can provide prompt evaluation following a car accident and determine the seriousness of the injury. A cervical collar may be used to enhance the healing of a whiplash injury.

Walk-in clinics are an excellent resource for patients needing urgent treatment for common injuries. To get the highest quality treatment for injuries, choose one with board-certified medical professionals on the team.

Royal Palm Beach and Wellington Walk-in Clinic

At Advanced Medical, our health care providers include a board-certified internal medicine doctor, Dr. Ishan Gunawardene, and board-certified nurse practitioner, Dr. Shariffa Gunawardene. We are a healthcare team composed of caring and compassionate professionals offering patient-centric care.

If you’ve sustained an injury, we can provide a quick diagnosis and treatment to begin your recovery. We have many on-site conveniences and can provide continuity of care. Each patient’s treatment is personalized and will be overseen by Dr. Gunawardene.

If you have any questions or to let us know that you are coming, call (561) 434-1935 or request an appointment online. We look forward to serving you in our Wellington walk-in clinic.

What Are the Benefits of Choosing a Walk-In Clinic?

You’ve been feeling under the weather for days now. You’ve finally decided to see a doctor, but it’s the weekend or already past business hours. You may be tempted to just sleep it off, but why wait any longer when you can get seen right away?

Your best bet is to visit us at Advanced Medical. We accommodate walk-in patients as part of our commitment to providing comprehensive and convenient healthcare services to the residents of Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, and the surrounding areas.

So, before you go to a regular walk-in clinic or make that long and expensive trip to the emergency room, check out the benefits of choosing to visit us instead for your non-emergency medical needs.

We Are Not Your Run-of-the-Mill Walk-In Clinic

What sets us apart from those walk-in clinics you typically see in grocery stores, pharmacies, and “big box” stores is that we are run by highly qualified medical professionals—a board-certified internist and a board-certified family nurse practitioner. This means that you are in very good hands.

We combine our expertise with advanced evidence-based medical care to deliver the best patient experience and treatment outcomes. Compassion, empathy, and respect are the cornerstones of our practice.

You Are a Top Priority

Emergency rooms can get overcrowded. As such, patients with non-emergency cases often don’t receive prompt care and have to sit in the waiting area for hours on end.

At Advanced Medical, you are a top priority, and we don’t just treat you like a number—we treat you like a family. We will provide you with the personalized care that you need, when you need it.

We Provide High-Quality and Affordable Services in Wellington, FL

Since we are essentially a primary care practice, you can trust us to help you with the vast variety of medical conditions, both acute and chronic.

We see patients of all ages, and we offer a comprehensive range of preventive and urgent care services—all at friendly rates.

These include:

o   Allergies and asthma

o   Auto accident and workplace injuries

o   Chronic conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and type 1 and type 2 diabetes)

o   DOT physicals

o   Physicals for sports, school, camp, employment, and insurance

o   Respiratory tract infections (e.g., common cold, the flu, tonsilitis, etc.)

o   Weight management

o   Women’s healthcare services (e.g., gynecologic exams, Pap smears, and preventive medicine)

Are you sick today? Be seen today at either our Palm Beach or Wellington Walk-in Clinic! If you prefer to set a same-day appointment, you can either call us at (561) 434-1935, or you may fill out our appointment request form.

Should You Visit a Walk-In Clinic?

A walk-in clinic is a healthcare facility where you can receive medical care without an appointment. These medical offices are also often called urgent care centers.

Think of a walk-in clinic as an ultra-convenient doctor’s office. It operates as if you could walk right into your doctor’s office without making an appointment beforehand.

Let’s talk about why you would want to visit a walk-in clinic, the differences between these facilities and emergency rooms (ERs), and where you can go in the Wellington and Royal Palm Beach area for convenient, personalized healthcare.

What Is a Walk-In Clinic?

Walk-in clinics have doctors and nurses who can efficiently diagnose and treat non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses, such as a cold, flu, fever, sore throat, sudden pain, infections, and cuts. These healthcare professionals can also administer vaccinations and perform physicals for school, sports, and employment. If you’re going away on a trip and need to get specially vaccinated per your destination (which has been the case long before COVID-19), walk-in clinics also provide this service.

These urgent care clinics can treat patients who have minor allergic reactions, asthma, bronchitis, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. An urgent care center can also provide wellness checks, such as your annual checkup. This type of medical office is a great option for when your primary care doctor is not available.

Is a Walk-In Clinic the Same as an Emergency Room?

If you have a potentially life-threatening issue – such as a severe allergic reaction that is affecting your breathing or a severe traumatic injury, such as a blow to the head or being injured in a car accident – go to an emergency room at a hospital. Do not go to an urgent care or walk-in clinic. Hospitals are equipped with ventilators and other high-level medical technology that is necessary to handle trauma.

An emergency room tends to have a much, much longer wait time than does a walk-in clinic if you have a non-life-threatening health issue. That is because a hospital’s emergency room will conduct triage, which is prioritizing the severity of injuries and illnesses – and the more severe cases will be seen first. Low-level illnesses or injuries may take a long time to be seen by a doctor.

What Is the Difference Between a Walk-In Clinic and an Urgent Care Clinic?

You may be surprised to learn that there is actually no real difference between an urgent care center and a walk-in clinic. People use these terms interchangeably, per their own comfort level, but they both mean that you can go to the clinic or the medical office without an appointment.

Walk-In Clinic in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, Florida

It is ideal to have a primary care doctor whose office also accepts walk-ins for sudden minor emergencies, such as a bad cut or a cold. Here at the Advanced Medical Clinic, we offer primary care and urgent care services to patients of all ages, and we accept walk-ins without an appointment.

Our staff can quickly assess your medical issue and provide treatment, thereby avoiding unnecessary visits to the emergency room. If you have any questions about our urgent care services or would like to schedule an appointment, contact our friendly staff today at the Advanced Medical Clinic by calling us at (561) 434-1935 or by filling out our online request form now. We look forward to being your healthcare partner!