Immediate Care or Emergency Care? You can’t avoid life’s unexpected illnesses or accidents. However, it’s important to know the appropriate place to seek medical treatment for your symptoms. DuPage Medical Group developed a guide to help you choose which route of care is best based on your symptoms or injuries. Now you can easily determine if you need to utilize your local DMG Immediate Care Center or the nearest Emergency Room.

1. DuPageMedicalGroup.com
When should i CALL 9-1-1?
Immediate Care EmergencyCare
Conditions
best treated at
same day appointments
or after hours care
Symptoms of heart attack, including
chest discomfort, pain in the left arm or jaw,
weakness or dizziness
Serious injuries to the chest, abdomen, or head
with loss of consciousness or persistent disability
Symptoms of a serious infection, including
high fevers, infant less than 2 month of age
with fever, stiff neck, severe weakness, or
dizziness
Severe skin burns
Seizures without previous diagnosis of epilepsy
High fever, or fevers with rash
Worsening flank pain, abdominal pain or
abdominal swelling
Vaginal bleeding with pregnancy
Any condition resulting in uncontrolled
or heavy bleeding
Unexpected abdominal pain
Minor eye injury or eye problems
(that do not involve sudden loss of vision)
Cuts or wounds that may require stitches
Injuries to the arms and legs (that are
not severely deformed, causing weakness, loss
of sensation, nor loss of circulation)
Injuries to the collarbone, and minor
injuries to the rib, back, and head*
(*head injury or trauma with loss of
consciousness should be treated at the ER)
Skin infections or skin rash
Removal of unexpected objects
in the eye, ears, nose and skin
Fevers in children over 2 months of age
Repeated vomiting
Minor skin burns
IF SOMEONE IS EXPERIENCING THE SYMPTOMS below, call 9-1-1
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. IF YOU FEEL SOMEONE’S LIFE COULD TRULY BE AT RISK,
DON’T HESITATE TO CALL 9-1-1 AND REQUEST AN AMBULANCE IMMEDIATELY.
Dishwashing accidents can be
avoided by switching from a
sponge or dishrag to a brush
or sponge with a handle
Use dishwashing
tools with a handle
Headache, weakness or
speech difficulties, loss
of or abnormal sensation
Dizziness or
Light-headedness
Changes in vision, or
sudden loss of vision
Chest pain or discomfort
Any Chest heaviness, pressure,
squeezing sensation, or pain
Difficulty breathing
or shortness of breath
Abdominal pain or swelling,
especially in the abdomen,
radiating down the back
Frequent/painful urination
or urgency to urinate
Excessive thirst
or urination
Leg or arm swelling
Sadness, anxiety, excess
sleeping and/or fatigue,
loss of sleep or appetite
To avoid slips & falls outfit
your bathroom with no-slip
bath & shower mats
Equip bathrooms
with no-slip mats
Curl the fingers holding the
food item while chopping
can help avoid mishaps
when using a knife
Learn proper food
prepping technique
Avoid tripping or falling in
the house by making sure
to clear shoes & other
clutter from walkways
Keep walkways
& stairwells clear
Don’t swap dish towels for
oven mitts or other protec-
tive heat gear when handling
hot items & cookware
Avoid burns by using
proper heat protection
When working on projects
that require power tools,
use proper safety gear to
avoid cuts & eye injury
Use protective gear
when using tools
Immediate Care Center
at DuPage Medical Group
DESIGNED TO BEST
diagnose & TREAT:
Unexpected
Non-life-threatening
illness or injury
Emergency Room
at the Hospital
DESIGNED TO
BEST TREAT:
Life or organ
threatening
illness, injuries
difficulty
breathing
or shortness
of breath
symptoms of
heart attack
Chest pain, heaviness,
pressure, or squeezing
sensation, pain in the left
arm or jaw, weakness
or dizziness
signs of stroke
Numbness, slurred speech,
severe headache, weakness
on one side of the face or
loss of consciousness
life-or-limb
threatening
trauma/injury
Any severe injury or trauma
to the body, severe pain
or head injury with loss
of consciousness
No one knows your body
better than you. If you are
experiencing symptoms that
are unusual, call your doctor
or seek medical attention.
Paying attention to your
body’s cues could prevent a
condition from escalating
into something serious or
even life-threatening.
Just because your symptoms
do not warrant immediate
attention doesn’t mean
you can’t find relief today.
If your primary care doctor can’t
squeeze you in, you can still be
seen today at DMG by scheduling a
Same Day Appointment or walking into
one of our After Hours Care locations.
You can’t avoid life’s unexpected illnesses
or accidents. However, it’s important to
know the appropriate place to seek medical
treatment for your symptoms.
cold & flu symptoms
sore throat/strep throat
urinary tract infections
mild pain or cramping
mild asthma
For Same Day Appointments call 1-888-MY-DMG-DR
For After Hours Care locations visit DuPageMedicalGroup.com/after-hours-care