When do I need to go to urgent care or emergency?

Author: Kelsey Zhao | Reviewer: James Milligan | Published: 19 March 2025 | Updated: ~

Go to an urgent care/urgent treatment centre if…

You need immediate care, and you cannot get an appointment with your PCP soon enough (for example, an infection or pressure injury that will get worse with time).

Illustration accompanying When do I need to go to urgent care or emergency?

Go to the emergency room or call your regional emergency number if…

Your condition is getting worse very quickly.
You condition is life-threatening.
You have autonomic dysreflexia that is not responding well to treatment.
The problem is time-sensitive, and you cannot get an appointment with your PCP soon enough and there is no urgent care centre nearby.