Quick answer: yes. At Advanced Urgent Care of Pasadena, blood work, digital X-rays, EKGs, stitches, and rapid tests for flu, COVID-19, and strep are all done on site, usually in one visit and without an appointment. Not every urgent care has a lab or X-ray in the building, so it is worth checking before you go. Here is what an urgent care visit can and cannot handle.
Does urgent care do blood work?
Yes. Our on-site laboratory handles blood draws and blood and urine testing. Common reasons patients come in for blood work include:
- Testing during a sick visit, when the provider needs lab results to guide treatment
- Lab work for an annual physical, such as blood sugar and cholesterol
- Pre-operative clearance lab work requested by a surgeon
- Confidential STD testing
- Diabetes screening
- TB testing by blood test (QuantiFERON-Gold) or skin test, through our TB testing service
Some results are available during your visit. Tests that are sent to a reference laboratory take longer, and we tell you what to expect before you leave.
Do urgent cares have X-rays?
Many do, but not all, which is why "urgent care with X-ray near me" is a common search. We have digital X-ray and EKG on site. X-rays are used most often for:
- Possible broken bones, sprains that are not improving, and joint injuries (see our fractures, sprains, and strains service)
- A cough with fever, when pneumonia is a concern
- Checking for glass or metal in a wound
An EKG (electrocardiogram) records the heart's rhythm and takes a few minutes. We use it for pre-operative clearance, physicals, and the evaluation of palpitations. Chest pain with shortness of breath, sweating, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw is an emergency: call 911 rather than driving to urgent care.
Can urgent care do stitches?
Yes. At our minor injury service the wound is numbed, cleaned thoroughly, and closed with the method that fits it best: stitches, skin adhesive, or adhesive strips. We update your tetanus shot if it is due. Most cuts should be closed within about 6 to 12 hours, so do not wait until the next day to decide. Our guide to whether a cut needs stitches covers the signs.
Rapid tests: flu, COVID-19, and strep
Rapid tests for flu, COVID-19, and strep throat are run on site, and results are typically ready while you wait. That matters because antiviral medicine for the flu works best within 48 hours of the first symptoms, and strep throat is treated with antibiotics only when a test confirms it. See our cold and flu service.
What else urgent care treats
- Urinary tract infections, with urine testing on site
- Ear infections, sinus infections, sore throats, and bronchitis
- Pink eye, styes, rashes, and skin infections (see skin, eye, and ear infections)
- Vomiting, diarrhea, and other stomach illnesses
- Headaches and migraines
- Asthma flares, including breathing treatments
- Allergic reactions that are not life threatening, and insect bites and stings
- Pregnancy testing
- School and sports physicals and work physicals
- Pediatric urgent care for children 6 months and older
Our providers can prescribe medicine when it is needed, including antibiotics for bacterial infections, and many common medications are available in the clinic so you can skip a separate pharmacy trip.
Is urgent care cheaper than the ER?
For the same non-life-threatening problem, yes. An urgent care visit typically costs a fraction of an emergency room visit. Insurance copays for urgent care are usually lower than ER copays, and emergency rooms add facility fees that urgent care clinics generally do not. Waits are usually much shorter as well, because emergency rooms must see the sickest patients first.
We accept most major insurance plans (see accepted insurances) and offer self-pay pricing for patients without insurance. Call (626) 304-0404 for current self-pay rates or to check your plan.
What urgent care does not do
Urgent care is for problems that need attention today but are not life threatening. Call 911 or go to the emergency room for:
- Chest pain or pressure, or trouble breathing
- Signs of a stroke: face drooping, arm weakness, or slurred speech
- Severe bleeding that will not stop, or a bone that is visibly out of place or through the skin
- A head injury with loss of consciousness, confusion, or repeated vomiting
- Seizures, fainting, or a severe allergic reaction with swelling of the throat or trouble breathing
- Severe abdominal pain, or any fever in an infant younger than 12 weeks
Urgent care also does not provide CT or MRI scans, surgery, or hospital admission. Our ER or urgent care guide explains how to choose, and why urgent care describes what to expect at our clinic.
Walk in today, no appointment needed
Advanced Urgent Care of Pasadena is at 797 S Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, next to Petco, with free on-site parking. We are open Monday through Friday 8 AM to 8 PM and Saturday and Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM, and we take our last patient 30 minutes before closing. We serve Pasadena, South Pasadena, Altadena, San Marino, Alhambra, and nearby communities. Questions? Call (626) 304-0404.
This article is general health information and is not a substitute for an examination by a medical provider. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.