Parenting Guide: When to Bring Your Child to Urgent Care or ER

Overview

If you're a parent, your priority is your child's overall health and safety. However, there are instances where accidents and getting sick cannot be avoided. Such is the fact of life that you should always be prepared for. With that in mind, you should know when to bring your child to urgent care or the emergency room. And that's what we are going to talk about today.

Our goal is to provide you with helpful information regarding your child's medical needs. We'll highlight when you need to bring your child to the ER or an urgent care physician. So, let's dive into our discussion.

What's the Difference Between the ER and Urgent Care?

Suppose your child encounters an emergency situation that could be potentially life-threatening. In that case, you should bring your child to the emergency room without delay. In addition, you should also get your child to the ER if they are at risk of losing a limb.

Urgent care is somewhere between the emergency team and the primary care department. It's ideal for bringing your child to the urgent care team when they are experiencing adverse health conditions or injuries that could not wait until the following day. 

When to Bring Your Child to Urgent Care or ER

Now that you know the difference between the emergency room and the urgent care team, let's discuss when to bring your child to the appropriate department. 

Common Conditions Treated in the ER

When to take your child to the ER:

High Fever

How to take care of a high fever? When your child has a fever over 40 degrees celsius, you should go to the emergency room for immediate medical care. A high fever of this kind could lead to seizures and dehydration. The ER team can provide the necessary treatment for either situation. 

Severe Stomach Pain (Lower-right Abdomen)

Pain from the lower abdomen could be an implication of appendicitis. A ruptured appendix could lead to death due to the toxic substances in the stomach. When your child experiences pain from the lower-right abdomen accompanied by vomiting and fever, rush to the emergency room.

Head Trauma

Head injuries should never be taken lightly. Your child may suffer from a concussion. Suppose your child continues to experience constant pain, confusion, and vomiting. In that case, it is best to go to the emergency room ASAP. 

Foreign Objects Stuck in the Ear or Nose

A child may get a foreign object stuck in the ear or nose during playtime, especially if no one's watching them. Foreign entities could cause them intense pain and infection. Small toys are usually the culprits. Your child may suffer from damaged eardrums that could lead to hearing loss. In addition, their nasal passages could get infected. 

Deep Cuts or Broken Bones

The risks of deep cuts or lacerations could put your child's life in danger due to blood loss. Going to the ER is their best chance of survival. In addition, broken bones, if left untreated, could lead to permanent damage. Getting treated in the emergency room increases their chances of restoring limb functionality.

Common Conditions Treated at the Urgent Care Facility

Here are some of the health conditions of your child that you can skip going to the ER and go directly to the urgent care team instead. 

Urgent care for children:

Accidental Swallowing of a Foreign Object

If your child swallowed a rock, small toy, or similar object, there's no real threat that may require treatment in the ER. The urgent care team can take care of it for you. However, if your child accidentally swallowed a battery or something corrosive, go to the ER instead.

Mild Cuts and Bruises

Mild cuts that aren't deep are not life-threatening. However, you should suppress the bleeding anyway. The urgent care team can provide the appropriate treatment. When your child gets bruised from injuries, it doesn't mean it's always serious. On the contrary, you should get it checked with the urgent care team to determine the severity.

Chronic Cough

The chronic or persistent cough does not need ER treatment. Also, the urgent care team can provide an additional diagnosis to determine underlying causes. Moreover, you can reduce the risk of your child catching other illnesses in the ER.   

Recap

Here's a quick recap for your better understanding.

Go to the emergency room when your child has

• Breathing difficulties
• A head injury followed by vomiting
• Unusual sleepiness or disoriented
• Continuous Palpitations
• Accidental poison, drug, or unknown substance ingestion
• Eye injury
• A stiff neck with a fever
• A serious burn

Go to the urgent care department when your child has

• Cuts
• Splinter removal
• Minor bone injuries
• vomiting or diarrhea
• Fever
• Tummy ache
• Sprains and other sports injuries
• Minor burns
• Minor animal bites

Now you know when to go to urgent care for fever and when to go to the ER. Learning the difference could go a long way.

Give Your Child the Protection They Deserve

AllMed Medical Center offers urgent care and ER services for your child. Our facilities are equipped with top-of-the-line medical equipment to treat your child based on their personal needs. We are determined to provide you with all the medical services you need for your child in one place. 

Dial 1-8333-255-6332 and schedule an appointment today. You can also choose your preferred site here.