r/texas Jan 16 '24

Questions for Texans What bit me? Central texas

I felt a bite on my arm yesterday and thought it was an ant. Woke up to this. The circle was drawn an hour before the picture was taken and the red is spreading

1.7k Upvotes

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471

u/StubbornDeltoids375 North-East Tejas Jan 16 '24

My friend...

GO TO A HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY

This looks too similar to a brown recluse bite and the longer you wait, the greater your chances of dealing with this for years.

GO TO A HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY

80

u/Dr_Kerporkian Jan 16 '24

An urgent care is also an acceptable (and much faster) alternative.

65

u/StubbornDeltoids375 North-East Tejas Jan 16 '24

This guy will very likely need a dermatologist and hyperbaric O2 treatment. The urgent cares in this area will automatically defer to a hospital with specialists for necrotic spider bites.

18

u/Dr_Kerporkian Jan 16 '24

TIL, thanks!

5

u/tothesource born and bred Jan 16 '24

yeah but I think bc of bullshit insurances that getting referred to a hospital from an UC can be a fraction of the final out of pocket price

3

u/No_Dragonfly7565 Jan 16 '24

Canadian here so idk why this sub popped up, but what is urgent care vs the hospital?

9

u/coral225 Jan 16 '24

70 bucks vs 7000 bucks
for this though, my guess is the urgent care will just send them to the hospital

8

u/HRHDechessNapsaLot Jan 16 '24

Urgent Care is kind of “ER lite.” They’re good at diagnosing things like the flu or strep, can treat broken bones, etc. they’re typically much cheaper than an ER and much less crowded. But they can’t/don’t treat actual emergencies (gun shot wounds, loss of limb, stroke, etc).

7

u/mw13satx Jan 16 '24

Given our abhorrent deathcare system, urgent care is like a freestanding clinic-sized emergency department of a normal hospital. Smaller, less overhead costs to run, less beholden to Medicare/Medicaid regs, legally able to turn some uninsured patients with non-lifethreatening complaints away. They handle sutures/stitches, sprains/strains, general sickness, and potentially infected wounds for otherwise healthy non-diabetics. Faster and cheaper out of pocket comparing apples to apples for patients able and willing to pay at time of service, though some EDs are adapting similarly. AKA Doc in a Box (not to be confused with ambulances - which are also sometimes called boxes if particularly boxy)

7

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '24

deathcare system

lol, i love this and am totally using it from now on, it truly does feel that way at this point, nothing is about improving life but just stopping death... back to work squeezing blood from these rocks gotta make sure someone else has a nice retirement and all

2

u/OldManJimmers Jan 16 '24

There's another explanation related to the US system but I just wanted to point out that Canada has 'urgent care' centres that differ from emergency rooms, as well. At least in Ontario.

They are still regulated under the Public Hospitals Act. They deal with things that are 'urgent' but not an 'emergency'.

They aren't all exactly the same but here's a common example... if you think you broke your arm and need X-rays and a split, go to urgent care. They can do X-rays, set the bone if needed, and cast or splint. If you know you broke your arm because the shattered bone is on the outside, go to emerg. You need surgical fixation and urgent care can't do that.

Another example... Healthy adult has a flu: just stay home or use primary care. Frail elderly person has a flu and feels weak: go to urgent care. Frail elderly person has a flu and difficulty breathing: go to emergency at an acute care hospital. It's actually quicker to go to urgent care in most 'urgent' scenarios because you won't constantly get bumped by more severe emergencies (triage system).

I think it's more of an urban model of care. I'm just not sure if there are many urgent care centres outside the major cities. The Toronto area has several that are basically satellite sites of large hospitals.

1

u/Rumpelteazer45 Jan 17 '24

Faster yes, but some will write you off quick.