When your child is sick or injured, deciding whether to go to the emergency department (ED) can feel overwhelming. Questions swirl: How serious is this? Will we be seen quickly? Do they specialize in treating kids?
You’re not alone in facing these questions. Every year, more than 30 million children visit EDs across the United States.
Sanjay Mehta, DO, division chief of the Pediatric Emergency Department at CentraState, shares important insights to help parents know when to go to the ED and what to expect once they arrive.
Go to the ED for:
HEAD INJURIES: Especially if accompanied by loss of consciousness, confusion, slurred speech, vomiting or seizures
DIFFICULTY BREATHING: Whether it’s due to a choking episode, a respiratory infection or any other cause
ABDOMINAL PAIN: Persistent and severe pain or pain coinciding with fever, vomiting and bloody stool
VOMITING: When accompanied by dehydration, lethargy, bright red blood or greenish-looking bile – or any vomiting in infants under 3 months of age
BONE INJURIES: If your child cannot bear weight on a leg, if they’re not moving an arm or if there’s visible deformity or swelling
OPEN WOUNDS: To prevent infection and excess blood loss while ensuring proper healing
FEVERS: Persistent high fevers in children and a rectal temperature of 100.4°F in babies under 3 months or severe
ALLERGIC REACTIONS: Even if past reactions were mild, as symptoms can worsen unexpectedly
Tips before heading to the ED:
TREAT FEVER AT HOME: It’s perfectly fine to give fever-reducing medication before coming in; the ED team will rely on your report of how the fever was trending.
STAY CALM: Your demeanor can help keep your child calm and make decision-making easier.
DON’T DELAY CARE: Even if you’re worried about a long wait, don’t let that stop you from bringing your child in.
“At CentraState, children are quickly separated from the general adult population into the Pediatric Emergency Department, where they receive expert care from board-certified pediatricians and nurses trained to provide comforting, specialized support for kids and parents alike,” says Dr. Mehta.
PEDIATRIC SERVICES AT CENTRASTATE
Learn more about pediatric services at CentraState.
