If you have a child, their health and welfare is one of your primary concerns in life. When the doctor’s office is closed, or when you don’t have time to schedule an appointment; when the emergency room is too crowded and too expensive, where do you go for healthcare for your little ones? Pediatric urgent care for kids is a great option for nearly any medical needs short of a life-threatening emergency (in a life-threatening emergency, you should always seek emergency room care). Here’s what to expect and when to go to urgent care for kids.

Expect the Best

You can ask the doctors about anything you need at urgent care, and there are currently 20,000 physicians in America’s urgent care medicine industry. Today, many urgent care facilities can offer laboratory services and x-ray equipment so that conditions can be diagnosed and treated quickly. You can also expect your child to be seen by pediatric nurses, pediatricians, and physician assistants who are experienced in urgent care for kids.

Expect Convenience

In today’s busy world, it’s very difficult to schedule time out of your day to visit a doctor’s office, especially if you don’t know in advance that your child will need care. Even if your child does not need care immediately, you still have to take time off of work in order to take them to the doctor because the office is closed after working hours. This is never a problem with urgent care for kids, since you can visit a walk in clinic whenever you need. Many urgent care clinics also offer earlier opening hours and later closing hours than a doctor’s office, and some are open during the weekend as well.

Expect Lower Costs and Wait Times

One of the best reasons to seek urgent medical care is the lower cost compared to an emergency room visit. Because an urgent care location does not have to maintain the same lifesaving facilities as a hospital, expenses are lower and these savings are passed on to you. You can also expect to spend significantly less time in the waiting room at urgent care for kids than you will in an emergency room.

When to Go

There are a lot of illnesses and injuries that urgent care for kids can treat. You can take your child there for ear infections, or for treatment for the flu, a fever, or a cold. It’s also a great place to get treatment for minor fractures, minor burns, sprains, and stitches. If you suspect your child has pinkeye or some other eye problem, urgent care for kids can take care of it. If they are having diarrhea or vomiting, unless there is also blood you can take them to urgent care for kids rather than the emergency room. Ear infections, skin conditions, asthma attacks, migraines, nosebleeds, and other illnesses and injuries can all be treated at an urgent care facility.

Preventative Care

Many urgent care facilities can also help with the treatment of chronic conditions and preventative care. They can be a great place to get rapid diagnostic testing for strep, flu, or mono. You can get pregnancy tests, drug tests, tests for glucose and sugar issues, routine urine cultures, and urinalysis. Most will also perform required physicals for schools and give vaccinations for the flu.

Urgent care for kids is a great alternative when you need medical care for your child quickly and conveniently. Look for clinics near you and see how their doctors and other health professionals can help keep your family healthy.