June 04, 2010 01:38am EST 

There are over 115 million visits to the many United States emergency rooms every year, or more than 300,000 Americans per day! Patients go to the hospital emergency room for many different medical conditions ranging from second-degree burns to gunshot wounds. As the large number of visits show, hospital emergency rooms are busy places, with physicians and nurses constantly running back and forth to meet the emergency medical needs of their patients. As such, it may not always be the right move to visit an emergency room.
Emergency room visits are costly, often requiring thousands of out-of-pocket costs for patients. There also may be a line for emergency treatment as well as a triage system that may keep you from receiving immediate medical attention. It is for these reasons that you should always determine first whether your medical condition rises to the level of a medical emergency.
There are many different indicators of a medical emergency, some more serious than others. Be aware of your symptoms, should any of them match one of these indicators, you may need a trip to the emergency room:
* difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
* changes in vision
* suicidal thoughts or feelings
* difficulty speaking or pronouncing words
* shortness of breath
* strange or unusual abdominal pain
* pain or pressure in the chest or upper abdominal region
* fainting or weakness
* severe or sudden pain
* uncontrolled bleeding
* persistent vomiting or diarrhea
* coughing or vomiting blood
Each of these indicators could very well mean that you have a medical emergency that needs immediate treatment. However, for other, less serious medical conditions, you may want to consider visiting a clinic. Doing so will guarantee that you save money and time, as you will avoid the extensive costs and long lines of a hospital medical room.
A clinic is a small health facility that cares for outpatients, or patients who visit a medical professional and does not stay overnight at a hospital. They are usually run by general practitioners, in contrast to a hospital, which employs specialists, surgeons, and nurses as well. A hospital usually has an associated clinic which can provide outpatient services at much less of a cost and time commitment. Some of these clinics function as a place to be seen by a triage nurse or other health professional. As said before, less urgent illnesses or injuries can be brought to a clinic. Don’t fret, should you require a trip to the hospital emergency room, you may be moved from the clinic directly to the emergency room. However, these clinics are not open 24/7/365 like hospitals.
Visiting a hospital emergency room can be a costly and time-consuming experience. If you are in need of emergency medical attention, find somebody to bring you to the emergency room immediately. If your symptoms are not indicative of a medical emergency, consider visiting a clinic or family doctor — it will save you some money that you can save for holiday gifts.