Urgent Care Centers May Not Adequately Treat Complex Sinus Issues

You might also like:

• Nonstandard Thinking Required to Meet the Challenge of Complex Sinus Conditions
• Room for Improvement: Pediatric ambulatory centers could benefit from guidelines, panelists say
• Interdisciplinary Care Vital for Patients with Sinus Pressure, Pain, Headache
• COSM13: Complex Cases, High Stakes Pose Challenge for Plastic Surgeons

Explore this issue:

January 2013

There are now more than 8,700 urgent care centers in the U.S.—up from 8,000 in 2008.

When Peter Batra, MD, sees patients at his office at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, some of them have already tried to get medical treatment at urgent care facilities but didn’t find relief.

“A lot of patients are sent to me with chronic sinonasal issues, and many of them have sought care at urgent care facilities,” said Dr. Batra, the co-director of Southwestern’s Comprehensive Skull Base Program. “Patients with complex sinus issues may end up undertreated or treated inappropriately because the treating physician may not have the right diagnosis.”

He typically urges his patients to avoid seeking medical care at such facilities and notes that while urgent care centers can offer basic care for routine ear, nose and throat issues, otolaryngologists can better manage a complicated diagnosis. “For a more significant problem, we can do endoscopy,” he said. “It allows us to better guide their care. We also have the ability to get imaging, if needed, so we can get a diagnosis with a CT scan if necessary.”