Your child wakes up complaining about a sore throat. Is it just the common cold, or could it be the beginning of bacterial tonsillitis, which often requires antibiotics? What if your child is experiencing severe pain or a high fever? Does that warrant visiting the pediatrician, or should you head to the emergency room?
For parents, determining how to treat certain illnesses and ailments, such as the standard stomach bug, is more straightforward than others. The process becomes even more challenging when considering how the decision may affect our workdays — impending deadlines, missed meetings or a dwindling reserve of paid time off.
To help us make more informed decisions about our children’s care, the doctors at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital shared factors they recommend parents prioritize when evaluating whether their child should be seen by a pediatrician, treated by urgent care or go to the ER.
Availability: The pediatrician is ideal for questions about a simple fever, headache, earache or sore throat. That said, many pediatricians’ offices only operate weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If issues arise outside these hours, you may need to pivot and visit urgent care. When in doubt, call the pediatrician’s after-hours call line for advice on what to do or where to go.
Severity: In addition to the above conditions, urgent care is acceptable for more serious matters like cuts, suspected broken bones or sprains. Anything potentially life-threatening, such as trouble breathing, food allergy reactions or injuries sustained in a car accident, requires an immediate trip to the ER.
Context: Does the rest of your house have a stomach bug or fever? Have you been alerted about an exposure at school? A “wait and see” approach is likely OK in these cases. A doctor’s visit is recommended if your child has a fever lasting longer than 12 hours, is experiencing severe pain, is exhibiting decreased activity or intake of food and liquids or has an injury that requires care, such as an open cut in need of stitches.
Parental intuition: You know your children’s behavior best. If your kids aren’t acting like themselves, the general rule is they should receive medical evaluation. If they are playing as usual, they are likely to be okay. When in doubt, listen to your inner voice and trust your gut.
Every parent knows illnesses and injuries are bound to happen. As fall and winter get underway — and as schedules only get busier — we’ll likely see a spike in sickness, particularly respiratory viruses. If your house is impacted, you can use these four factors to decide whether and where your child should receive medical care.
