PENNSYLVANIA, USA — When it comes to aches, breaks, pains, or sprains, who will you call?
Dr. Marcus Powers, a family medicine physician at UPMC in Lock Haven, says to ask yourself one question: Is this life-threatening? If it is, you need to go to the emergency room.
"We look at anything like shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, any chest pain concerning heart attacks, of course, stroke-like symptoms, so any weakness or motor symptoms in the body, any altered mental status, any motor vehicle accidents or accidents where you suspect you do have broken bones and any severe burns," said Dr. Marcus Powers, UPMC Lock Haven.
If you experience any of these symptoms and decide to go to the ER, Powers adds, rest assured that you have everything you need there, "With laboratory workup, IV lines, and rapid imaging, we have different specialists who can give further recommendations on whether surgery should be done. So, the ER is a great place for those serious conditions."
If you have a minor condition, such as a cold, that can wait a few days, Dr. Powers suggests making an appointment with your primary physician, "We can do testing; we can do different viral swabs or other swabs for strep if there are any cold-like symptoms to rule that out. Any mild burns, muscle, or joint pain is your back pain. Any sprained ankle or sprained joints."
If you can't get in with your doctor and your symptoms don't require an ER visit, Dr. Powers recommends going to urgent care.
If you're not sure what to do, call your primary care physician's office to ask them.
If it's after hours, most offices have a nurse triage set in place.
"The nursing staff can answer, they can help you with that decision making, and they can recommend, you know, this sounds like this is urgent where you should go to the ER or let's see if we can get you scheduled with a doctor here in the office within the next one or two days or so," said Dr. Powers.
Dr. Powers adds most offices have same-day appointments, so he recommends calling your primary care physician early in the morning to see if there are any same-day openings.