Urgent Care, ER or Pediatrician: Where to Take Your Sick Child

Start with your pediatrician's office

• Most practices have a 24-hour nurse line or on-call doctor. Calling first often saves a trip, and they know your child's history.
• Many offices hold same-day sick visits; call early in the morning.
• Telehealth works well for rashes you can show on camera, pink eye, mild colds, follow-ups and "is this normal?" questions. It can't listen to lungs or look in ears.
• Save the after-hours number in every caregiver's phone, including grandparents, sitters and the other household if you co-parent.

Urgent care fits

• Minor cuts that may need stitches or glue, simple sprains, possible minor fractures of a finger or toe, mild burns, ear pain, sore throat, urinary symptoms, and illness that can't wait until the office opens.
• A pediatric urgent care, or one that sees children often, is a better fit for babies and toddlers. Call ahead to ask the youngest age they see; some don't see infants.

The emergency room fits

• A baby under 3 months with a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher (rectal).
• Trouble breathing, a head injury with vomiting or confusion, a seizure, a possible broken bone that's bent or swollen, a deep or gaping wound, a swallowed button battery or magnet, or signs of dehydration that aren't improving.
• A children's hospital or an ER with pediatric readiness is ideal when there's a choice and the trip is safe.

Before you need it

• Look up the nearest children's ER, pediatric urgent care and your insurance's nurse line now.
• Know which local options take your insurance or offer sliding-scale fees; community health centers and children's hospital clinics serve families with or without insurance. In the US, ERs must evaluate and stabilize anyone regardless of ability to pay.
• If English isn't your first language, you have a right to a free medical interpreter; ask.

What to bring

• Your child's ID or insurance card, medicine list with doses, allergy list, and vaccine record.
• Any medicine, plant or product your child may have swallowed, in its container.
• A charger, a snack and drink for you, diapers, a comfort object, and a written timeline of symptoms, temperatures and medicine times.

Common mistakes

• Waiting until night to call about something that's been building all day.
• Giving fever medicine just before a visit without telling staff; it can change what they see.
• Driving while upset with a very sick child alone in the back seat; ask for help or call 911.

When to check in

• After any urgent care or ER visit, let your pediatrician know and book follow-up if advised.
• If you keep using urgent care because you can't reach your office, talk with them about access or consider changing practices.
• If your child can't breathe, is unresponsive or is having a seizure, call 911.