Choosing Emergency Care or Urgent Care
Below is a quick guide of "emergency" problems, for which a visit to the Emergency Department at Sturdy Memorial Hospital is recommended, versus "urgent" problems, for which the Urgent Care Center in Plainville, is more appropriate.
Emergency Care
Below is a quick guide of "emergency" problems, for which a visit to the ER is recommended:
- Chest pain, especially if it is associated with sweating, shortness of breath, or radiation to the jaw or arm
- Difficulty breathing
- Allergic reactions that threaten breathing
- Heavy bleeding
- Vaginal bleeding in pregnancy
- Burns involving large areas of the body
- Sudden onset or severe headaches
- Head trauma while on blood thinners
- Head or eye injury
- Deep wounds
- Dislocated joints
- Major extremity injury with deformity
- Severe palpitations
- Severe abdominal or back pain
- Sudden testicular or pelvic pain
- Persistent vomiting
- Fainting/loss of consciousness episode
- Seizure without prior history of epilepsy
- Sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding speech, weakness of an arm or leg, or sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Suicidal thoughts
- Baby ≤ 3 months old with fever ≥ 100.4
Urgent Care
We offer a variety of urgent care services and treatment for minor injuries and illnesses including:
- Sore throat
- Ear aches
- Cough
- Cold or flu symptom
- Sinus pain
- Mild shortness of breath related to asthma
- Fever without rash
- Minor cuts requiring sutures
- Minor burns
- Rashes (including poison ivy or tick bite related)
- Abscess requiring drainage
- Minor extremity injuries
- Sports related injuries
- Mild back pain
- Muscular pain
- Persistent diarrhea
- Vomiting, but still able to drink fluids
- Stomach pain (not severe)
- Suspected gout flare
- Painful urination
- Flu shots
- X-ray services for possible minor bone break
