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Urgent Care Clinic vs. Emergency Care; What’s the Difference?

February 6, 2012



When it comes to urgent care clinics in Austin, you have lots of questions, but one of the principle questions you should be asking is this: what is the difference between a urgent care clinic in Austin and an establishment that offers emergency care? 

You might think that because of the sheer number of urgent care clinics that they’re  the same as emergency care, but that would be a mistake.  It could be a critical one.   See, urgent care clinics in Austin are built around providing care for situations and conditions that are not generally considered life-threatening.  We’ll go over some of the definitions for that a little later, but first let’s look at what care IS provided in a urgent care or walk in clinic in Austin.  

Here is a list of some (not all) of the situations or conditions we see often and regularly treat at Urgent and Family Care at Avery Ranch: 
  • Laceration Repair & Wound Care
  • Fractures and Wound Care
  • Respiratory Illnesses
  • Asthma
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Sore Throat
  • Urinary Infection

Again, these are not the only issues we treat, but these are not generally life-threatening in nature.  When it’s your child, of course, nothing feels like a “non-emergency”, right?  So why the distinction?  Well, there are several reasons we could go into, but only one should matter for this discussion: level of care.

The simple fact is that life-threatening conditions, or emergency situations that could develop into something life-threatening, demand a level of care that is not possible at a smaller family care or urgent care clinic (like Urgent and Family Care at Avery Ranch).  This is because of what it takes to move someone through the levels of care, not to mention the sheer numbers of labor hours, is staggering.  Here are a few symptoms (not all) that should send you or your family to the ER instead of a urgent care clinic:

  • Chest Pain
  • Sudden dizziness, weakness or loss of coordination or balance
  • Numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg
  • Difficulty speaking
  • Sudden blurred vision
  • Severe abdominal pain


This is a relatively short blog post on this topic, and nothing in it should be considered the last word on the subject.  If something is amiss, get it checked out, and don’t wait.


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