Convenient Care or the ER: Which Option Do I Choose?

When faced with an illness or injury, do you visit a convenient care or head to the emergency room (ER)? Knowing their unique capabilities helps ensure you and your family get the right care in the right setting. Learn more about their differences so you can confidently choose the best-suited option.

CONVENIENT CARE
While a convenient care doesn’t normally address life-threatening issues, it can treat a wide array of moderate injuries and illnesses. These include:

• Cough, cold, sinus, strep throat and flu symptoms
• Allergies, insect bites and skin rashes
• Earaches
• Nosebleeds 
• Eye irritation
• Painful urination
• Minor scrapes, cuts, burns and bruises
• Sprains and strains
• Mild respiratory infections
• Mild to moderate asthma symptoms

Some convenient cares also offer sports physicals, blood pressure checks and limited immunizations.

BJC Medical Group at O’Fallon Convenient Care, located at 2630 Highway K, is open daily seven days a week.  Our team of experienced, board-certified physicians, nurse practitioners, registered medical assistants and radiology technicians are ready to give you immediate, same-day care with no appointment necessary. For more details, please call: 636.980.5300

BJC Outpatient Center at Wentzville Convenient Care, located at 1520 Wentzville Parkway, is open daily seven days a week. Our team of experienced, board-certified physicians, nurse practitioners, registered medical assistants and radiology technicians are ready to give you immediate, same-day care with no appointment necessary. For more information, please call: 636.497.4060

EMERGENCY ROOM
An emergency room is equipped to address life-threatening, organ-threatening and limb-threatening medical issues. Here are some red-flag signs that you need to go to the ER:

• Heart attack symptoms (shortness of breath or chest pain or pressure)
• Stroke symptoms (dizziness, slurred speech, or numbness in the face, arm or leg)
• Allergic reactions that cause breathing problems
• Broken bones
• High fever
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Severe pain
• Flu-like symptoms that improve but return worse

If you or a loved one presents any of the above symptoms, you can find immediate care every day, 24 hours a day, from the Barnes-Jewish St. Peters and Progress West Hospital ERs. Locate the nearest BJC hospital and wait at home, not in the ER, with our easy online self-scheduling system.

COVID-19 TESTING

Symptoms range from mild to severe, and usually appear around five days after exposure to someone infected with the virus, but could occur up to 14 days after an exposure. 

If you are experiencing any non-emergent version of the symptoms below, take our free online screening tool  or call 314.391.4930 for care recommendations.  

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath.
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills,
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat (different from your seasonal allergies)
• New loss of taste and smell
• New or worsening diarrhea (not consistent with chronic medical conditions)

For more information about the BJC services in St. Charles County, please call 636.928.WELL.