[dekhn]

Your last sentence is really my underlying point: people use the ER for non-urgent issues because it's available. Ideally, we'd have far more non-ER urgent care (which costs much less to staff and run than an ER) and that would be most people's place to go when their normal doctor couldn't see them.

For the gallbladder, if it's just an infection, not fatal. If it's a gallbladder attack, it can lead to rupture. Definitely needs emergency surgery.