Skin Infections - Legacy ER

Your skin is essentially a protective barrier that prevents germs and bacteria from getting into your bloodstream. Unfortunately, your skin is also quite vulnerable and a small puncture can lead to an infection. Learn more about skin infection symptoms and treatment and find out when to go to the emergency room.

Go to the ER for a Vibrio Infection

While you can get skin infections in many ways, Texans are at an enhanced risk due to the harmful bacteria present in coastal waters. Vibrio infections are most prominent in May and October due to the warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, which causes the bacteria to thrive. If you go swimming with an open wound, the bacteria can enter your body, leading to a severe infection. You can also get it by handling or eating contaminated seafood.

If it enters through an open wound, you can expect a severe skin infection that causes the area around the open wound to die.

Other symptoms might include:

• Blistering skin lesions
• Low blood pressure
• Chills
• Fever

If you have any of these symptoms, go to the emergency room or call 911 immediately.

Other skin infection symptoms to watch for:

If you have a mild or moderate infection, it’s wise to go to urgent care or make an appointment with your primary care provider.

However, go to the ER if:

• You are in significant pain
• Have a fever that’s 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
• The swollen or red area gets larger

Diagnosing Skin Infections

You could have a fungal, bacterial, or viral infection, so the doctor will need to run some tests after evaluating your symptoms and conducting an exam. You could require a skin culture or blood test based on the provider’s findings.

Treatment for Skin Infections

If you have a mild skin infection, it might disappear without medical intervention. However, other infections require treatment so they don’t spread and cause serious complications. Vibrio infections are treated with antibiotics, but it’s essential to seek medical treatment quickly. Otherwise, your doctor might have to amputate a leg or arm to remove dead tissue. Antibiotics are also used to treat other bacterial infections, while antifungals and antivirals are used for others. Additionally, you might need to apply a cream to your skin while healing.

If you have an abscess due to the infection, your doctor might drain it as part of your treatment. Otherwise, your skin might heal on the outside instead of from the inside out, leading to additional complications. Finally, the doctor will evaluate you to see if you have any other complications resulting from the infection. For instance, you might have a high fever and be dehydrated because you aren’t feeling well. All these issues can be addressed in the ER.

Don’t Delay Seeking Treatment

Legacy ER & Urgent Care is here to meet your medical care needs by providing affordable pricing and quality care. As part of Intuitive Health’s innovative hybrid model ER and urgent care system, patients are only billed for the level of care they receive from professional and highly trained medical staff. With a total of six facilities located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, emergent and non-emergent care are accessible and transparent, focusing on superb customer service.

Legacy ER & Urgent Care has six convenient locations in the DFW area:

• Allen – Legacy ER & Urgent Care is located at 1310 W. Exchange Pkwy Allen, TX 75013, and may be reached at 972-526-5819.
• Coppell – Legacy ER & Urgent Care is located at 330 S Denton Tap Rd Coppell, TX 75019 and may be reached at 469-702-9917.
• Frisco East: Legacy ER & Urgent Care is located at 16151 Eldorado Pkwy Frisco, TX 75035 and may be reached at 972-526-7009.
• Frisco West: Legacy ER & Urgent Care is located at 9205 Legacy Dr. Frisco, TX 75033, and may be reached at 972-526-7020.
• McKinney – Legacy ER & Urgent Care is located at 2810 Hardin Blvd McKinney, TX 75072, and may be reached at 972-573-6688.
• North Richland Hills: Legacy ER & Urgent Care is located at 8950 N. Tarrant Pkwy North Richland Hills, TX 76182, and may be reached at 817-663-1247

Are you worried about seeking care because you are uninsured or underinsured? You can sign up for a Legacy Select® plan. There are two affordable payment options when buying the plan. You can pay a small monthly fee or save 20% by paying for the year at once. One plan covers the entire family and includes emergency room and urgent care discounts, making getting the level of care you need easier.