What Does Urgent Care Actually Treat? A Comprehensive List

One of the most common misconceptions about urgent care is that it's only for minor issues — a cold, a scraped knee. In reality, a well-equipped urgent care center handles a substantial range of illnesses, injuries, diagnostics, and occupational health services that previously would have required an ER visit or days-long wait for a specialist appointment. Here is the honest, comprehensive version of what CareNow can do for you.

For illnesses, we treat the full scope of common infections and respiratory conditions: upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, sinusitis, ear infections (otitis media and external), strep throat, urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted infections (with testing and treatment), influenza, COVID-19, and infectious mononucleosis. We can diagnose and begin treatment for most of these in a single visit, and prescriptions — when clinically appropriate — are provided same-visit and can be sent electronically to any pharmacy.

For injuries, we handle sprains and strains with same-day X-ray confirmation; lacerations requiring sutures (stitching); wound care and dressing changes; eye injuries including foreign body removal and corneal abrasions; minor head injuries with neurological assessment; and non-emergency fracture evaluation. We do not handle major trauma, which requires a trauma surgeon and operating suite — those patients belong in the emergency room.

Our in-house diagnostic capability is one of CareNow's clearest advantages over a standard primary care visit. We have digital X-ray imaging with same-visit results reviewed by our providers. Our lab processes rapid strep tests, rapid influenza A/B, rapid COVID antigen and PCR, urine analysis and culture, blood panels (CBC, metabolic panel, lipid panel, and more), and mono spot. We also perform 12-lead EKGs in-house. Most results are available within 30–60 minutes, enabling us to make confident diagnoses and start treatment without sending you elsewhere.

There is one honest category of what urgent care cannot do, and you should know it clearly: major trauma and surgical emergencies, cardiac events requiring catheterization or intervention, strokes requiring imaging and neurology, and severe psychiatric emergencies all require emergency department resources that urgent care centers are not equipped to provide. We have established referral protocols for exactly these situations — if you come in and we determine you need the ER, we will stabilize you and send you with documentation and, in urgent cases, an EMS call.

Occupational health is a service many patients don't associate with urgent care, but it represents a significant portion of what we do. CareNow provides DOT physicals for commercial drivers, pre-employment drug testing and panels, workers' compensation injury evaluation and treatment, return-to-work clearances, and respirator fit testing. Employers can establish a direct billing relationship with us for ongoing occupational health services.

If you're uncertain whether your condition falls within our scope, call us at (602) 555-0219 before coming in. Our front desk staff can give you a quick assessment over the phone and let you know if urgent care is appropriate or if you should go directly to the emergency room. We'd rather give you 60 seconds of guidance on the phone than have you drive across town unnecessarily.

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