Urgent Care Needs Provider
Gaslamp Medical Center
Alfredo Quinonez, MD
Internal Medicine Physician located in Gaslamp District, San Diego, CA
When you’re traveling and suddenly become ill, or for some reason cannot see your primary care physician, urgent care is often a better alternative than the emergency room. Dr. Alfredo Quinonez is an internal medicine physician who offers same-day, quality medical services to patients without an appointment. His offices are conveniently located at the Gaslamp Medical Center in San Diego, California, and within easy walking distance of local hotels and pharmacies.
Urgent Care Q & A
What is urgent care?
Urgent care is not for life-threatening conditions. Those are always best treated at an emergency room. Urgent care is essentially for illnesses or injuries that would ordinarily prompt you to schedule a visit with your doctor.
For instance, when you’ve got a sore throat, fever, and other symptoms consistent with strep throat and you’re on vacation, visiting an urgent care clinic is typically faster and much kinder to your budget than a trip to the emergency room.
It’s not meant to replace routine visits with your physician, but urgent care is also a great option for those times when you get sick while your doctor is away on his own vacation or out of the office for some other reason.
What services are available at an urgent care clinic?
Dr. Quinonez has extensive experience in treating a variety of medical conditions and can see you for symptoms such as:
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
- Fever, chills, and body aches
- Sinus pain, cough, and runny nose
- Pain or burning sensation with urination
Dr. Quinonez is also able to treat sprains, lacerations, and other minor injuries or refer you to another facility if he feels more complex care is necessary. The office has many antibiotics and other helpful medications onsite and is also located near several pharmacies for your convenience.
What should I bring for an urgent care visit?
It’s important that you provide Dr. Quinonez accurate details about your medical history so he can prescribe an effective treatment plan. He also needs a list of any medications and supplements you take regularly (including the dose) as well as any drug allergies or reactions you’ve had in the past.
How do I know whether it’s an emergency?
It’s sometimes tricky to determine whether your symptoms indicate an emergency situation that requires rapid and advanced treatment. Sometimes the best clues are your “gut” feeling, the characteristics of the symptoms themselves, and your health history.
If you’re taking blood thinning medication, for instance, even seemingly minor falls can warrant emergency care. Sudden mental confusion, paralysis of one or more extremities, and fainting are also signs of an emergency.
Other symptoms best evaluated at the emergency room include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Severe abdominal pain
- Persistent vomiting or diarrhea
- Chest pain with or without sweating, vomiting, shortness of breath
For urgent medical services, visit Gaslamp Medical Center today!