In the US, emergency departments receive about 139 million patient visits each year. With that many patients, it’s no wonder that only 40% of them get seen by a doctor in less than 15 minutes.
Indeed, most ED patients wait for hours before they get discharged. The average ED visit-to-discharge time is 2.25 hours. Patients with broken bones also wait for almost an hour just to receive pain medication.
Now that you have a possible bone fracture yourself, you may be wondering, “Can urgent care do x rays?” When else should you opt for these facilities so that you don’t have to deal with long ER queues?
We’ll answer all those questions in this post, so be sure to read on.
What Is Urgent Care?
Urgent care facilities are walk-in clinics providing ambulatory or outpatient care. These health centers consist of medical professionals, including physicians and nurses. They provide treatments for injuries and illnesses that require immediate care.
Can Urgent Care Do X Rays Then?
Yes, most urgent care centers provide diagnostic services as they have their own x ray labs. This means that you can have your radiographs taken by the urgent care facility itself. Gone are the days wherein you have to go to a separate diagnostic lab and wait for days to get the results.
What’s more, many urgent care facilities now use digital x ray machines. The most innovative ones can even deliver the digitized results within five seconds. Printing them out can take less than 10 minutes.
What Types of X Rays Do Urgent Care Facilities Provide?
Many urgent care facilities have chest, abdomen, bone, or teeth radiograph machines. Many x ray-equipped centers also offer both traditional and digital imaging services. Teeth x rays can be “single-tooth” or “panoramic” imaging tests.
Chest X Rays
Chest x rays are the “golden standard” for diagnosing community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). CAP is prevalent in the US, accounting for more than 4.5 million outpatient and ED visits each year. This is one of the reasons chest x rays are the most common of all performed diagnostic x rays.
As such, you may need to get a chest x ray if you experience shortness of breath or chest pains. Your doctor may also prescribe this type of imaging test if you have persistent cough and fevers.
Abdominal X Rays
You can get an abdominal x ray at urgent care centers if you have acute abdominal pain. Your doctor may also prescribe it if you have lower back pain or vomit for no apparent reason. These may be symptoms of gallstones or kidney/urinary bladder stones.
Bone X Rays
Every year, an estimated 6.3 million bone fractures occur in the US. Bone x rays, which produce images of any bone, help diagnose and treat these fractures. The same goes for if you have joint dislocation symptoms, such as pain, swelling, or bruising.
Teeth X Rays
Dentists and orthodontists prescribe teeth x rays to help with dental disease diagnoses. These imaging tests reveal the condition of teeth, bones, and tissues in the mouth. These allow dentists to check for tooth decay, gum infections, or diseased tooth roots.
Why Go to an Urgent Care Center Instead of the ED?
Long wait times aside, ED service costs are more expensive than urgent care fees. For instance, one study found that the average out of pocket costs for an ED visit in 2017 was $239. This was on top of the average $924 insurers paid per ED visit.
By contrast, urgent care facility services can cost about $100 to $150 per patient. Urgent care centers also accept insurance for most of their services. Imagine how much you can save if you don’t go to the ED for a non-emergency situation.
Besides, if you need an x ray, you’re more likely to have it read by your doctor on the same day. So, you don’t have to wait for days and go back to the center just to have your x ray results interpreted. This saves you not only time but also more money on, say, transportation costs.
Urgent care centers may not be open 24 hours, but they usually start early (around 8 AM) and close late (usually, 6 PM). So, if your condition isn’t life-threatening and it can wait until the next day, stick to an urgent care center.
What Other Conditions Can Urgent Care Centers Help With?
Urgent care centers can handle most conditions that aren’t “life-threatening.” They specialize in ailments that need care within the next 24 hours.
Some “urgent” injuries are minor burns, including first and second-degree burns. Minor second-degree burns are those smaller than two to three inches. Urgent care facilities have the necessary tools and equipment to treat these injuries.
Urgent care centers can also perform sutures for non-fatal lacerations. A doctor, nurse, or physician assistant can clean, disinfect, and assess your wound. They can then stitch the skin together as necessary.
Urgent care doctors can diagnose and treat sprains, strains, and simple fractures, too. After interpreting your x ray, your doctor can then cast or splint your injury to stabilize it.
Urgent care facilities can also help with infections, such as bladder infections. The doctors in these clinics can also prescribe medications for flu and colds.
Get Quality Treatment Faster by Heading to an Urgent Care Center
There you have it, the ultimate guide that answers your question, ” Can urgent care do x rays?” Now that you know they do, you should start searching for one that’s close to your place.
You may not need emergency care, but you still want to choose the nearest facility. This way, you can always get immediate access to necessary treatment.
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