As a parent, you should always keep an eye out for your child and make sure they don’t unintentionally hurt themselves. However, no matter how careful a parent may be, children will be children. They will manage to hurt themselves as they learn about the world around them. Some of these injuries may not be serious, and at most will mean a few tears. However, there are also those that warrant special care and a workup by a medical professional.
How will you know if your child needs emergency medical care? When do you slap on a bandaid and when do you head to the nearest urgent care center? All parents should be aware of these as accidents do not choose a time, a place, or a person when they happen. If you are a new parent who constantly worries about the safety of their child (don’t worry, this is perfectly normal), this blog post will give you the answers you are looking for.
Signs You Need to Bring Your Child to an Emergency Room
1 – Breathing Issues
If you notice your child having difficulties in breathing, taking staggered breaths or turning blue, it is best to take them to the nearest hospital. Regardless of their age, respiratory problems should never be taken lightly.
2 – Severe Dehydration
Should your child catch a stomach flu bug, they may vomit, have diarrhea and have trouble keeping down food and liquids they consume. If they keep vomiting to the point of severe dehydration, take them to the nearest emergency room immediately.
3 – Major Bone Breaks
Minor bone breaks can be handled by an urgent care center. However, for more serious breaks where the area is disfigured or the bone pierces the skin, it is important to secure the limb of your child and take them to the emergency room for treatment. Keep in mind that time is of the essence in these cases because of the blood loss.
4 – Fever that Is Abnormally High and Won’t Pass
Fevers are normal for children who get sick. However, they should pass after some over-the-counter paracetamol or after 24 hours. If the fever does not go away and is abnormally high, visit the nearest emergency room for a workup.
5 – Delirium or Non-Responsiveness
Lastly, if your child is showing signs of mental confusion, is visibly lethargic and no-responsive when you try to interact with them, these may be signs of serious medical conditions. Taking them to an emergency room the soonest possible time will help you know what is wrong.
What Should You Do If It Isn’t An Emergency?
If your child has some other types of medical concerns that need immediate medical care, but are not life-threatening like the ones mentioned above, you can take them to an urgent care center. Examples of these medical concerns are minor cuts that may need stitches or small burns that may need to get checked.
Conclusion
Knowing when to take your child to the emergency room, when to take them to an urgent care center and when to administer home treatment is essential. Keep in mind that emergency room treatment should be given to life-threatening conditions, if you bring your child to an emergency room for a minor injury, you may be taking away the attention of the medical staff from a more serious case.
If your child needs urgent care, bring them to see out medical professionals at Your Kids Urgent Care! We provide children’s urgent care services and make sure they are feeling better before leaving our facility. Visit our website to find a nearby location today!
