Medical Services at UPMC Urgent Care

When to Choose Urgent Care

Sometimes it’s hard to know which kind of care you need: urgent care, primary care, or the emergency department at a hospital. For minor illnesses and injuries, Urgent Care wait times are usually shorter than at an emergency department, and unlike visiting your family doctor, you don’t need an appointment. Serious illnesses or injuries should be treated at the emergency department.

Use this handy chart to help determine the best type of care for your medical condition.

Illnesses and Injuries

	Urgent Care	Primary Care	Emergency Department
Colds and flu	•	•
Coughs and sore throats	•	•
Earaches	•	•
Bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus infections	•	•
Asthma* *If severe, visit the emergency department	•	•
Allergies	•	•
Minor broken bones	•
Sprains and strains	•	•
Cuts and scrapes	•	•
Infections, such as pink eye and urinary tract infections	•	•
Skin conditions, such as rashes and irritations	•	•
Vomiting* *If severe, visit the emergency department	•	•
Diarrhea* *If severe, visit the emergency department	•	•
Abdominal pain* *If severe, visit the emergency department		•	•
Chronic health conditions		•
Chest pain			•
Stroke			•
Heart attack			•
Shortness of breath			•
Severe trauma or injury			•
Severe headache			•

Other Health Care Services

	Urgent Care	Primary Care	Emergency Department
Flu shots	•	•
Immunizations		•
Physicals for sports and work	•	•
On-site prescriptions* *On-site prescriptions not available at Erie Urgent Care locations	•