Acute Care

What is acute care?

Acute care is provided for acute injuries and illnesses -- those that develop quickly and require prompt attention. Acute illnesses are different from chronic diseases and conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes, which tend to develop more slowly and require ongoing management to prevent serious consequences.

Acute care can also refer to care provided for a specific short-term need, like recovery from surgery. The providers at Bellevue Family Medicine offer both chronic disease management and acute care for injuries and illnesses that develop rapidly.

What is the difference between acute and emergency care?

Acute care is also called urgent care because it focuses on medical and health issues that need prompt attention but don’t rise to the level of emergency care. For instance, a sprained wrist is an example of an acute injury that needs prompt care, while a compound fracture requires a trip to an emergency room. Other emergency-care examples include:

• Chest pain
• Serious allergic reactions that affect breathing or cause the tongue or lips to swell
• Concussions

What kinds of acute care services does Bellevue Family Medicine offer?

The providers at Bellevue Family Medicine offer an array of treatment options to help patients with acute issues feel better and prevent their issues from becoming worse, including:

• Strains and sprains
• Sports injuries
• Allergic reactions
• Stomachaches or other abdominal pain
• Insect stings

In addition to evaluations and exams, the providers at Bellevue Family Medicine may recommend X-rays or other diagnostic testing, blood work, and other lab services to determine the cause or extent of an acute medical issue and to guide and manage treatment.

How can I tell if I need acute care?

The best way to determine if you need urgent or emergency care is to call the office and speak with the staff at Bellevue Family Medicine.

What is the benefit of coming to the office for acute care rather than heading to the ER?

An emergency room is designed to serve people with very serious and even life-threatening conditions, which means that people with acute, non-emergency conditions may wait a very long time to be seen. Long wait times not only delay initial care and treatment that can improve the way you feel, but they also mean longer exposure from people who are seriously ill. Plus, the cost of emergency room care is significantly higher than the cost of a visit to Bellevue Family Medicine.