Urgent vs. Emergency Care
To receive the most appropriate medical care, it's important to know the difference between urgency and emergency care.
Know Where to Go
Call 911 immediately or go directly to the nearest emergency department for life-threatening conditions, such as:
- Chest pain (including the feeling of pressure or squeezing)
- Stroke symptoms (slurred speech, numbness or weakness in part of your body, loss of balance or vision)
- Severe head injury
- Dilated pupils, or trouble waking up or staying awake
- Loss of consciousness
- Shortness of breath
- Seizures
- Severe allergic reactions
- Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
- Bleeding that won't stop
- Severe abdominal pain
- Broken bones
- Major burns
