When Your Skin Condition is an Emergency
Summer is the time when rashes, sunburns and skin infections most often occur. Being outdoors, in the sun, around insects, animals, and new allergens can present skin problems. These common culprits can create skin conditions that require immediate medical attention. The physicians at Medco ER in Plano, TX, are experienced in diagnosing and treating urgent skin problems as soon as they arise.
Skin conditions can be painful and serious. Our rapid results labs can support a fast and accurate diagnosis of a variety of skin flare-ups. If you are experiencing any of a number of common skin conditions, come into Medco ER any time day or night to find a board-certified physician ready to treat you.
Common Skin Conditions
- Skin infections
- Dermatitis
- Rosacea
- Poison ivy or poison oak
- Cat scratch fever1
- Sunburn
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever1
- Necrotizing fasciitis1
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome1
- Toxic shock syndrome1
- Angioedema2
- Eczema2
- Psoriasis2
- Meningitis2
- Septicemia2
- Hives
- Ringworm3
- Drug reaction side effect3
- Heat rash3
- Shingles3
- Swimmer’s itch3
Common Symptoms
Skin conditions can be accompanied by a rash. Rashes can look or feel like:4
- Blisters
- Raised, red, swollen area
- Patches of discoloration or blotches
- Ring shaped or perfect circles
- Lacy in appearance
- Thick or leathery
- Scaly and flakey
- Raised bumps
- Red welts
- Oozing or pus-filled
- Hot to the touch
- Tight skin
Warning Signs
If your rash is accompanied by a fever, headache, muscle weakness or nausea, it’s time to come to Medco ER for help. If your skin condition is accompanied by difficulty breathing or tightness of the chest, you could be experiencing an anaphylactic reaction and need immediate ER care.
If your rash or skin condition covers a large part of your body or your whole body, that is a warning sign that you need to be seen at the ER. Discoloration, mouth sores, sore throat, diarrhea or joint pain accompanying a rash are other indicators that something is wrong.
Skin conditions that have swelling, discharge, crusting and are warm to the touch are indicators of infection and require medical care. Sepsis is a risk where infection is present.
Finally, if you are immunocompromised such as from having had surgery, cancer treatment, or a recent injury, and you develop a skin condition, come in to Medco ER and let us examine you right away.
“Skin conditions can be alarming because they can appear rapidly and cause extreme discomfort,” said Medco ER’s Medical Director, Dr. Nasir Khan. “That’s why we advise you to come in right away. Also, if your skin condition is infected, we can administer IV antibiotics at Medco ER that you wouldn’t be able to get at a doctor’s office or an urgent care.”
Prevention Tips
“While it is difficult to predict what may cause a skin irritation or condition, there are some basic things you can do to keep your skin healthy,” said Dr. Khan. “Keep your skin clean and dry. Avoid contact with harsh chemicals. Apply moisturizer with an SPF rating and use sunscreen when going outside. If you tend to get heat rash from skin-on-skin contact, sometimes weight loss can help. Use flip flops in the shower or locker room. If you are going hiking or outdoors, apply bug spray and check for ticks regularly.”
Get Help Fast at Medco ER
When skin conditions or rashes flare up, you can find fast help at Medco ER. We’re open 24/7 and have an in-house pharmacy with many prescriptions and creams designed to help common skin problems.
Plano: 3960 Legacy Drive, Plano, TX 75023 (on the corner of Legacy and Coit Road)
Call us @ 469-747-0370
1 https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2010/1001/p773.html
What Your Doctor Knows About Lacerations
Whether you’re fishing on your day off, enjoying a hobby, building something new, playing outside or even just preparing a meal, cuts, scrapes or lacerations can happen unexpectedly. The board-certified physicians at Medco ER & Urgent Care are experienced in treating wounds of all kinds and are standing by to help.
“When you experience a deep cut or laceration, or a scraped area of skin, the sooner you can get here, the better we are able to fight off infection that could be settling in the wound,” said Medco ER & Urgent Care’s Regional Medical Director, Dr. Tariq Vora. “We can treat it quickly and relatively painlessly. We use topical anesthetics to help reduce the sensation during treatment and we can make sure all the dirt and foreign bodies are removed properly before creating a proper seal.”
Do I need stitches?
When a laceration occurs, most people wonder whether or not they really need stitches. Sometimes it is very obvious that medical attention is needed, but other times it is not as clear. As a rule of thumb, if you can see layers of fat, muscle, tendons or bone in the wound, you will probably need stitches by a medical professional.
“Having one of our physicians treat your laceration can accomplish three things,” said Dr. Vora. “One: it will reduce the possibility of infection by properly sterilizing and sealing the wound. Two: it will stop severe bleeding. Three: it will speed healing by keeping the wound closed and stabilized. Treating a deep laceration at home is not advisable because of the risk of infection and inefficient healing. A wound may heal unevenly and leave a rough area that has reduced or deadened sensation.”
What about afterwards?
After you’ve received stitches, we can remove them in 5-14 days, depending on the location and size of the wound.
What about road rash, scratches or bites?
If your wound was caused by a skidding motion that peeled or scraped away a patch of skin, it is important to make sure all the dirt is removed from the area. “Scrapes or abrasions caused by falling off a bike or skidding across pavement are notoriously hard to clean at home,” said Dr. Vora. “Plus, they are extremely painful because they involve a large area of pain receptors. We can reduce the pain with topicals and can make sure all the dirt and gravel is removed to speed healing.”
If you had trouble with an animal and have scratches or bites, it is important to receive medical attention even if the wounds don’t appear to be too deep. Animal-related wounds are notorious for becoming infected, and a tetanus shot may be needed. Be prepared to identify the animal so your doctor can discover if there is a risk of rabies and so the animal can be contained, if necessary.
Do I need a Tetanus shot?
It is extremely important that you are up to date on your Tetanus booster anytime you experience a laceration or open wound. Tetanus is caused by bacteria and is almost always fatal if contracted through the skin. A Tetanus booster is usually good for 5-10 years.
If you don’t remember your last Tetanus shot, it’s crucial to get one in case of an open injury. At Medco ER, we can provide you a Tetanus booster in order to avoid a potentially deadly infection.
What to do on the way to the ER
Apply a clean cloth to the laceration and keep pressure on it to slow the bleeding. A gentle pinching pressure to pull the sides together could stem the bleeding on the way to Medco ER. Have someone else drive you so you can keep the wound elevated above the heart. If the wound is severe and blood loss is prominent, call 911 immediately or have someone take you to the nearest ER.
Get help fast at Medco ER & Urgent Care
At Medco ER, we have the imaging equipment, IVs, labs and supplies needed to treat any lacerations or wounds that you or your loved ones may experience. We are open 24/7 to provide you with some of the best medical care available to speed you on your way to healing.
- Plano: 3960 Legacy Drive on the corner of Legacy and Coit Road.
Call us @ 469-392-4000.