SM
Shayn Mitchell
Oct 18, 2025
This is a warning based on my personal experience. If you do not feel heard or properly evaluated, get a second opinion immediately.
I went to this Concentra for painful swelling and stiffness on the left side of my neck. My vitals were normal. I did not have classic strep symptoms like a sudden sore throat or high fever. The staff swabbed me for COVID, flu and strep. A rapid strep test came back positive, and that result became the entire diagnosis. I was sent home with antibiotics and no imaging, no discussion of alternative causes, and no clear plan for what to do if things got worse.
Over the next three days everything did get worse. The swelling increased, the pain intensified, and my ability to turn my head decreased. I went back to Concentra and tried to explain that something was wrong. I was told, “you have strep throat, what do you want from me,” which made me feel dismissed at a moment when I needed careful attention. I left and went to the VA hospital.
The team at the VA listened, examined me, and ordered the right test, a CT scan of the neck with contrast. Within hours I was admitted for emergency surgery. I did not have strep throat. I had an infected cyst that had formed a 4 cm abscess in my neck. Oral antibiotics were not going to fix that. I spent three days in the hospital and now I am recovering at home with a new scar and a drain site that will heal over time.
Looking back, the most important thing I learned is that a positive rapid test should be interpreted in context, not used as a shortcut to the answer. When you have focal, worsening, unilateral neck swelling, you need a clinician to step back, consider other causes, and decide if imaging is needed. Concentra did not have imaging capability on site, and I was told imaging would have to be done at a hospital. That is exactly why urgent care teams must be willing to escalate, to send patients for CT when the presentation is atypical, worsening, or not responding to therapy.
To be fair, urgent care clinics are designed for simple, straightforward problems. But that does not excuse anchoring on one test result, dismissing a patient’s concerns, or failing to provide clear return precautions. The standard should be, if your symptoms and the test do not agree, reassess, broaden the differential, and if necessary refer immediately to the emergency department.
My advice to anyone reading this: • If the story does not fit, ask why the diagnosis makes sense. Ask the clinician to connect the dots between your symptoms and the test result. • Know red flags. Worsening one sided neck swelling or pain, fever or chills, difficulty swallowing or opening your mouth, a muffled or “hot potato” voice, drooling, or any trouble breathing should trigger immediate ER care. • Ask about imaging. A CT scan with contrast can identify deep neck infections and abscesses that are not obvious on exam. • If you feel unheard, seek a second opinion right away. I am grateful I did.
I am sharing this so others avoid what I went through. Had I simply accepted the initial diagnosis, this infection could have progressed to life altering complications. I wish my first visit had included a broader assessment, a discussion about limits of rapid tests, and a plan to escalate care. Patients deserve curiosity, caution, and clear next steps.
This review reflects my experience and my opinion. I hope it helps someone get to the right care faster.