Do Urgent Cares Do Ultrasounds? What Every Parent Needs to Know
You know this feeling. Your child is doubled over with stomach pain that won’t go away. It’s getting worse, and you need answers—not guesses. You grab your phone and search “do urgent cares do ultrasounds” hoping to find somewhere that can tell you what’s going on inside.
Stop. Before you load everyone into the car, you need to know something that could change everything about the next few hours.
Here’s what most parents don’t realize: Most urgent care clinics do not have ultrasound machines. They handle ear infections and sore throats, but they lack the advanced imaging needed to diagnose serious conditions like appendicitis, internal injuries, or organ problems. If your child needs an ultrasound, you need an ER with on-site imaging, not urgent care.
Urgent Care vs. ER Imaging: What’s the Actual Difference?
This isn’t about what sign is on the building. It’s about what’s inside the building—and whether they have the diagnostic tools to actually find out what’s wrong with your child. If you’re wondering whether urgent care can do ultrasounds, the short answer is most cannot.
Emergency physicians use something called the Pediatric Assessment Triangle to evaluate children in under 30 seconds. You can use the same approach at home.
A — Appearance: Is your child alert and responsive? Look for eye contact, normal crying with tears, and good muscle tone. Warning signs: limp or floppy body, won’t make eye contact, unusually quiet or inconsolable.
B — Breathing: Is breathing quiet and effortless? Can they speak in full sentences? Warning signs: visible rib movement with each breath, nasal flaring, grunting sounds, can only speak one or two words at a time.
C — Circulation: Is skin color normal? Are hands and feet warm? Warning signs: pale or gray skin, blue lips or fingertips, blotchy appearance, cold extremities.
If all three look normal, your child is likely stable—an urgent care visit or telemedicine may be appropriate. If any one of these looks abnormal, seek emergency care immediately.
Most urgent care clinics lack ultrasound, CT scanners, and full lab capabilities. If your child’s condition requires diagnostic imaging to rule out serious problems, urgent care will just send you to the ER anyway—wasting precious time. Every Priority ER location has on-site ultrasound, CT, X-ray, and a complete lab, and is truly open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year—including Christmas, Thanksgiving, and every other night when kids seem to get sick.
When Urgent Care is Totally Fine
Not everything is an emergency. Urgent care exists for a reason, and it can handle plenty of common childhood issues without the full power of an ER. Save yourself time and money when the situation calls for it. However, if you need an urgent care that does ultrasound, you’ll likely need to visit an emergency room instead.
Conditions Appropriate for Urgent Care / Clinic
Stable vital signs • Alert and responsive • No respiratory distress
The key word is mild. When symptoms are manageable and your child is alert, drinking fluids, and responsive—urgent care during daytime hours works fine. But when things escalate, when your child needs imaging to find out what’s wrong, that’s when you need an ER with full diagnostic capabilities.
When Your Child Needs the ER Right Now
Parents know. There’s a difference between “sick” and “something’s really wrong.” Trust that instinct. Here’s what our pediatric emergency team says warrants immediate ER care—where ultrasound and advanced imaging are available:
Emergency
High Fever (103°F+)
Especially dangerous in infants under 3 months. Seek ER care if fever comes with stiff neck, severe headache, or rash.
Emergency
Difficulty Breathing
Ribs showing with each breath, lips turning blue, grunting, or unable to speak in full sentences. Don’t wait.
Emergency
Severe Dehydration
No wet diapers for 8+ hours, no tears when crying, sunken soft spot in infants, or very dry mouth and lips.
Emergency
Severe Abdominal Pain
Particularly right lower side pain which may indicate appendicitis. Rigid abdomen or pain that worsens rapidly.
Other emergencies that require the ER include head injuries (especially with vomiting, confusion, or loss of consciousness), allergic reactions with swelling of face or throat, seizures (especially first-time or lasting more than 5 minutes), and broken bones with visible deformity or inability to bear weight. For severe abdominal pain, an ultrasound is often essential for proper diagnosis.
Trust Your Parental Instincts
If something feels really wrong—even if you can’t explain why—skip urgent care and go to the ER. Parents know their children better than anyone. That gut feeling exists for a reason.
Built for Reliability When It Matters Most
When your child needs imaging that urgent care can’t provide, you need certainty—not “maybe” or “we’ll see.” Here’s what makes Priority ER different:
The Difference When It Matters
Priority ER offers comprehensive emergency room ultrasound imaging capabilities that most urgent care facilities simply don’t have.
Urgent Care
No Ultrasound
No CT, no full lab, limited hours
Priority ER
Full Imaging
Ultrasound, CT, X-ray, and lab 24/7
CT Scans
On-site, results in minutes
Full Lab
No waiting for off-site results
Real ER
Board-certified ER physicians
Ultrasound, CT, X-ray, and full lab—all on-site.
Without the hospital ER chaos.
What to Expect When You Arrive
Knowing what happens next can help both you and your child feel calmer. Here’s how a Priority ER visit typically unfolds:
Your Priority ER Visit
From arrival to answers
0-2 minutes
2-5 minutes
5-10 minutes
10-30 minutes
30-60 minutes
Immediate Greeting (0-2 min)
You’re greeted the moment you walk in. No clipboard, no waiting for someone to notice you.
Private Room (2-5 min)
Your child goes straight to a private treatment room. Family stays together.
Physician Exam (5-10 min)
A board-certified ER doctor examines your child and explains what’s next.
Testing (10-30 min)
Any needed labs, imaging, or tests—all done on-site with fast results.
Answers & Treatment (30-60 min)
Diagnosis explained, treatment provided, discharge instructions given. You leave with answers.
Compare that to urgent care—where they don’t even have ultrasound or advanced imaging—or a hospital ER where you could wait 4-6 hours. At Priority ER, the same care takes under an hour.²
When Your Child Needs Imaging Urgent Care Can’t Provide
Board-certified emergency physicians. Pediatric expertise. CT scans, ultrasound, and full lab on-site. Zero wait time. This is what real pediatric emergency care looks like.
Priority ER Locations
All locations are equipped with pediatric emergency capabilities and staffed by board-certified emergency physicians.
🌵 Odessa (West Texas)
3800 E 42nd St, Suite 105
Odessa, TX 79762
Serving Odessa, Midland, Gardendale, Greenwood & the Permian Basin
🏛 Round Rock (Austin Area)
1700 Round Rock Ave
Round Rock, TX 78681
Serving Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown & North Austin
⭐ McKinney (North Dallas)
5000 Eldorado Pkwy
McKinney, TX 75072
Serving McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Prosper & Collin County
🏙 Pantego (Arlington)
1607 S Bowen Rd
Pantego, TX 76013
Serving Arlington, Pantego, Grand Prairie & Mid-Cities DFW
🌊 Rockwall (East Dallas)
2265 N Lakeshore Dr #100
Rockwall, TX 75087
Serving Rockwall, Heath, Rowlett, Fate & Lake Ray Hubbard area
The Bottom Line for Parents
When you’re wondering “do urgent cares do ultrasounds” with a child in pain, you need a clear answer fast. Most don’t—and the last thing you need is to drive to urgent care only to be told they can’t help and you need to go to the ER anyway. Our ultrasound capabilities allow us to diagnose conditions quickly and accurately.
Know the difference: urgent care handles minor stuff. Emergency rooms handle the serious stuff—including ultrasounds and advanced imaging. And Priority ER gives you full emergency room capabilities—pediatric expertise, advanced imaging, on-site labs—without the chaos and wait times of a hospital ER.
When your instincts say something’s really wrong with your child, trust them. And come to a place that has the tools to find out what’s going on.
Medical References
- American College of Emergency Physicians. (2024). “Emergency Ultrasound and Diagnostic Imaging Guidelines.” ACEP Clinical Practice Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.acep.org/
- Texas Department of State Health Services. (2024). “Emergency Department Utilization Patterns in Texas.” Regional Health Report. Retrieved from https://www.dshs.texas.gov/
- Priority ER Internal Data. (2024). “Annual Diagnostic Imaging and Emergency Care Statistics.” Quality Assurance Report.
- American College of Radiology. (2024). “Ultrasound and Digital Radiography Standards for Emergency Departments.” ACR Technical Standards. Retrieved from https://www.acr.org/
- American College of Emergency Physicians. (2024). “Pediatric Emergency Imaging Guidelines.” ACEP Clinical Policies. Retrieved from https://www.acep.org/
- National Emergency Medicine Association. (2024). “Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Pediatric Emergency Settings.” Journal of Emergency Medicine, 48(9), 542-549.
- Mayo Clinic. (2024). “Emergency Ultrasound and Diagnostic Imaging.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. (2024). “Emergency Department Imaging Utilization Patterns.” HCUP Statistical Brief #182. Retrieved from https://hcup-us.ahrq.gov/
- Radiological Society of North America. (2024). “Emergency Ultrasound Standards and Capabilities.” RSNA Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.rsna.org/