Abdominal Pain: ER vs Urgent Care

Abdominal Pain: When to Go to Urgent Care vs. the Emergency Room

Abdominal pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical attention. It can range from mild and temporary to severe and life-threatening. Knowing when to go to urgent care versus the emergency room (ER) can save time, money, and in some cases—your life.

When Urgent Care Is Appropriate

Urgent care is designed for conditions that are uncomfortable but not immediately dangerous. If you’re experiencing abdominal pain but you’re stable, urgent care is often the right choice.

Examples of abdominal pain appropriate for urgent care include:

• Mild to moderate abdominal cramping

• Pain associated with nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea (without severe dehydration)

• Suspected food poisoning or stomach flu

• Urinary tract infections causing abdominal or pelvic pain

• Constipation or bloating

• Acid reflux symptoms

  
  

Why urgent care works here: You can often be seen quickly, avoid long ER waits, and get testing like labs, urine studies, and sometimes imaging depending on the clinic’s capabilities.

When the Emergency Room Is Necessary

The ER is the safest place if your abdominal pain could signal a serious or life-threatening condition. Go to the ER—or call 911—if your pain is:

Severe or sudden with any of these symptoms:

• Sharp, intense pain that starts suddenly

• Pain with chest pressure, dizziness, or fainting

• Pain with a rigid or hard abdomen

• Severe pain with vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds

• Black, tarry, or bloody stools

• Pain after trauma (like a car accident or fall)

• Abdominal pain with inability to urinate or painful urinary retention

• Abdominal pain in pregnancy, especially if severe or with bleeding

• Signs of infection: high fever, chills, worsening pain

Common emergency causes include:

• Appendicitis

• Bowel obstruction

• Gallbladder infection (cholecystitis)

• Pancreatitis

• Ectopic pregnancy

• Perforated ulcer

• Perforated bowel

• Aortic aneurysm

• Pyelonephritis (kidney infection)

Why the ER matters here: Hospitals can provide IV fluids, advanced imaging (CT, ultrasound), surgical consultation, and immediate life-saving interventions if needed.

Red Flag Summary

If you’re unsure, here’s a quick rule of thumb:

• Urgent Care: Mild to moderate pain, stable, no red-flag symptoms.

• ER: Severe, sudden, or worsening pain OR pain with alarming symptoms (bleeding, fainting, fever, pregnancy complications).