HOUSTON (June 22, 2017)

While it may be the season for swimming, bicycling, trampolines and all-around fun, it’s also the season for heat exhaustion, blistering sun burns, allergic reactions and more. The good news is the Katy community has a wide variety of options for receiving care.

“Those in Katy have access to the full spectrum of care provided by Memorial Hermann affiliated physicians. From primary care to emergency care and everything in between, people have a variety of options to best fit their healthcare needs,” says Michael Nguyen, MD, a family medicine physician who practices at Memorial Hermann Urgent Care in Fulshear.

Dr. Nguyen offers this guidance for some of the most common summer injuries:

Skin rashes or infections: Primary Care or Urgent Care

  • Poison ivy, poison oak, insect bites and other allergic reactions can be treated by your primary care physician or at an urgent care clinic. Memorial Hermann Urgent Care locations are a great option if you can’t get an appointment with your primary care physician. They are open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Dehydration: Urgent Care or Emergency Center

  • The board-certified family medicine physicians at our Urgent Care clinics can provide IV fluids if someone is dehydrated or perhaps suffering from heat-related illness. For severe dehydration or episodes of fainting, patients should go to the Emergency Center at Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital or the Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center in Katy.

Sprain or dislocation: Urgent Care

  • The physicians at Urgent Care can set a dislocated joint, apply a splint, or properly wrap a sprained joint.

Broken bone: Urgent Care or Emergency Center

  • If it is a simple break, like a broken finger, it can be splinted at Urgent Care. For more complex breaks, patients will need to go to the Emergency Center.

Cuts, abrasions and lacerations: Urgent Care or Emergency Center

  • Similarly to a broken bone, some cuts, abrasions and lacerations can be treated at the clinic. Complicated or deep lacerations will need to be treated at the Emergency Center.

Concussion: Convenient Care Center or Emergency Center

  • The Convenient Care Centers provide emergency care and imaging services. They may also have shorter wait times. If inpatient care is required, transfer to Memorial Hermann Katy is easy. It comes down to which facility is more convenient for the patient.

Find nearby Katy-area primary care or Urgent Care locations. For emergency services, the Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center in Katy is open 24 hours a day to provide emergency care and imaging services. Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital has a Level IV trauma center staffed with specially-trained nurses and physicians prepared to provide critical care services.