Urgent care clinics have become increasingly common over the years, and can now be found in most cities and towns across the United States. Many people prefer to go to urgent care because no appointment is required, people can literally walk in off the street to receive treatment, which is a great benefit for those who constantly live on the go and don’t have the time to wait for an appointment. Urgent care clinics offer a variety of medical services for patients who come in to be seen by a doctor, and this article will take a look at a few of them.
- The Annual Flu Shot: One important service that an urgent care clinic provides for patients is the annual flu shot. It’s very important for everyone, no matter how young or old, to take this shot once a year because it provides one of the most reliable means for avoiding the flu virus during the fall and winter months. Those in need of the flu shot can come in to urgent care at any time to receive the shot, no appointment necessary.
- Travel Vaccinations: Another service that an urgent care clinic provides for patients are travel vaccinations. These are shots for various diseases that should be taken several weeks before leaving on a trip overseas to certain countries. The shots should be administered several weeks in advance to give the vaccines time to become effective in the body.
- X-Ray Services: A third service that an urgent care clinic provides for patients are X-ray services. These are services that let a patient get X-rays done if a bone fracture is suspected. These can happen even after minor accidents, and it never hurts to get an X-ray done just to make sure there aren’t any damaged or broken bones to worry about. Plus, with advances in medical technology, it doesn’t take as long to see the results of X-rays as it used to.
- Stitches for Minor Cuts: A fourth service that an urgent care clinic provides for patients are stitches for minor cuts. While the smallest cuts can be covered over with a bandage until they heal, cuts that are slightly larger typically require a stitch or two to allow them to close up and heal properly. Urgent care is ideal for providing this service, since you can go straight there are after receiving the cut and get it stitched up, ensuring the wound is properly taken care of in a prompt manner.
- Treatment for Food Poisoning: And finally, a fifth service that an urgent care clinic provides for patients is treatment for food poisoning. Food poisoning is relatively common, as up to 48 million Americans experience food poisoning to some degree each year. Urgent care clinics can diagnose these symptoms and make sure they’re not related to a flu virus before beginning a course of treatment that can get you on the path to recovery.
In conclusion, there are a number of important services that an urgent care clinic can provide for any and all patients. These services include, but are far from limited to: giving out the annual flu shot, giving travel vaccinations, providing X-ray services, stitching up minor cuts, and providing treatment for food poisoning. These are just a few of the services that an urgent care clinic can provide.