When a child gets sick on a Friday afternoon, parents have three choices: they can wait until Monday to make an appointment with the pediatrician, they can take the child to an urgent care clinic, or they can go straight to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. This is always a difficult decision, and there are some disadvantages to each choice. Waiting to see the pediatrician means taking a risk that the child will get much sicker, but visiting the ER is expensive and exposes the child to the germs of many other sick people. Visiting an urgent care clinic might mean that the child will not be seen by a pediatric specialist. Fortunately, parents in the San Antonio area can take their children to an Urgent Pediatric Care Center in San Antonio Texas. But how do they decide when to go?
The best first step on a Friday afternoon is to go ahead and call the child’s pediatrician. Most offices have an on-call physician or nurse who will return calls after hours and advise parents about the best course of action. In general, parents will be advised to take their child to the emergency room in the following circumstances:
* a broken bone
* a fever over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit for a child under the age of two months
* loss of consciousness or a seizure
* respiratory distress
* dehydration
* a gaping wound for a child who will likely need to be sedated to have stitches
However, if the child has the following symptoms or problems, parents will more likely be advised to take the child to a pediatric urgent care center.
* cold or flu symptoms
* ear pain
* an eye infection that is very red
* vomiting or diarrhea (without blood)
Urgent care centers fulfill an important need by offering non-emergency after-hours care. Patients can walk in without an appointment and get treatment for most common ailments. It’s always best for a young child to be seen by someone who has experience in working with children, however. If you’re not able to visit a clinic that specializes in pediatric care, you may need to call to see if your local urgent care center does indeed treat infants. Visit Clinica Del Norte PLLC if you need an Urgent Pediatric Care Center in San Antonio Texas.
