When to Take Your Child to the Emergency Room (and When to Call the Doctor Instead)
When kids get sick or injured, being a parent can be a scary time. But not every illness or bump on the head requires an immediate trip to the hospital, especially now that emergency rooms are overflowing – thanks in part to the resurgence of the RSV cold virus . So how do you know which symptoms are worth a trip to the emergency room?
First, if you think your child is in an emergency, stop reading this article and call 911. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
But there are many common complaints that can be caused by colds, stomach infections, and other illnesses that you think can wait until the office opens… but then again, you’re not sure. One option you have at this point is to check to see if your insurance company has a nurse’s phone line – or if your child’s doctor has an after-hours support service – so you can contact someone who can help you figure out what to do.
But as a general tip, here’s what pediatricians recommend, and you can also have some fun by watching the video below from Nemours, which goes over some common do’s and don’ts symptoms.
When to go to the emergency room
Symptoms to look out for immediately include those that are severe enough to require immediate attention, or where things can quickly go downhill. These include the following, but remember that you can call 911 instead of driving there yourself if the problem seems particularly urgent:
- Labored breathing
- Fever above 100.4 in a newborn (6 weeks or younger)
- Loss of consciousness
- A severe allergic reaction, especially if accompanied by difficulty breathing.
- Loss of consciousness or loss of consciousness
- Unusual drowsiness or confusion
- Signs of dehydration, such as not urinating.
- Vomiting, loss of consciousness, or strange behavior after hitting the head
- Persistent palpitations or unusually fast breathing
- A seizure that has never happened before, or a seizure that lasts more than 5 minutes (call 911 in these cases)
- An injury involving a deep cut, persistent bleeding, numbness, or tingling.
- Coughing up or vomiting blood
When a trip to the emergency room can probably wait
The following symptoms may be distressing for your child, but are usually not urgent. This can usually wait until you can reach your doctor by phone in the morning. (However, trust your intuition if something isn’t right.)
- Sore throat
- Persistent cough
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Earache
- sinus pain
- Shallow cuts with stopped bleeding
- Joint sprains and muscle strains
The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends calling your child’s doctor any time you don’t know what to do. (Even after hours, you can usually be connected to an autoresponder who can contact a doctor if needed.) They also have a more detailed guide to common complaints here .