IF YOUR CHILD IS EXPERIENCING AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL 911.
When your child is sick or injured, it can be challenging to know where to take them to receive the fastest and best treatment. Medical situations can occur in just seconds and can often happen during inconvenient times. You might be wondering if you should take your child to a pediatric urgent care vs. an ER? Or should you simply schedule an appointment with your pediatrician? In this article, we’ll discuss when you should (and should not) take your sick child to an urgent care clinic in Layton or the surrounding area.
URGENT CARE: LEARN WHEN IT’S RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD
SHOULD I TAKE MY CHILD TO THE ER OR A PEDIATRICIAN?
A poll conducted by Michigan Health concluded that parents rely on hospital ERs too often for minor issues. A pediatrician can often easily treat minor health conditions for a fraction of the cost. However, there are a few situations where health care providers recommend you should take your child directly to the emergency room. These include:
- difficulty breathing
- seizures
- change in mental status
- severe bleeding, severe injuries, such as a broken bone
- trauma from an accident
A pediatrician can expertly handle situations that aren’t an emergency. When in doubt, call your pediatrician, and they will be able to direct you to the proper place to take your child.
DOES URGENT CARE TREAT CHILDREN?
While many urgent care centers do treat children, they do not specialize in pediatric care. Often, providers at traditional urgent cares do not have much experience diagnosing and treating illnesses or injuries in infants or children. If you do need to take your child to an urgent care clinic, it’s best to go somewhere that specializes in children’s health. These centers focused on pediatric care will have advanced training in treating children, including making their experience (and yours) a positive one.
WHAT IS PEDIATRIC URGENT CARE?
A pediatric urgent care center is a medical center that assesses, manages, and treats ill or injured pediatric patients from infants to teenagers. At the pediatric urgent care in Layton, the emphasis is on rapid service and treatment. Centers like these are ideal for treating conditions deemed mild to moderate, including:
- Cough or sore throat
- Congestion, sinus pain, or runny nose
- Ear infection or pink eye
- Sprained ankle or wrist
- Cuts or abrasions that may require stitches
- Vomiting or diarrhea
WHEN SHOULD I BRING MY CHILD TO URGENT CARE FOR A FEVER?
Most healthcare providers define a fever as a temperature over 100.4° F. Urgent care centers can offer timely care for children experiencing a fever outside of the safe zone. Many pediatricians will recommend seeking urgent care if:
- the child is under three months and has a fever of 100° F.
- the child is over three months old with a fever of 102° F.
- if the child is also experiencing rashes, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
WHEN SHOULD I BRING MY CHILD TO URGENT CARE FOR A COUGH?
While colds and the flu are common concerns throughout the year, it might be hard to know when a cough needs treatment from an urgent care center. Coughs can vary depending on the severity. Some coughs can be shallow and don’t yield much phlegm, while others sound deep and guttural. If you find that your child is coughing up mucus from the lungs or if their cough is very severe, it might be best to seek treatment at an urgent care center. Here are some other signs to watch for that might warrant a trip to urgent care:
- If the child has trouble breathing or is working hard to breathe
- If the child has a dusky or blue color to the lips, tongue, or face
- If the child has a cough accompanied by a high fever
- If the child is making a “whooping” sound when breathing in after coughing
- If the child is coughing up blood
- If the child is cranky, weak, or irritable
- If the child is dehydrated — signs of dehydration include sunken eyes, drowsiness, dry or sticky mouth, crying with little to no tears, and infrequent urination
PEDIATRIC URGENT CARE AT TANNER CLINIC IN LAYTON
If you’re looking for “pediatric urgent care near me” in Layton, Utah, the Tanner Clinic has both urgent care and pediatric urgent care available. Thankfully, with access to our convenient and highly skilled urgent care centers, you won’t have to worry about taking your child to pediatric urgent care vs. ER. Our urgent care facilities are here to provide care for minor, non-life-threatening ailments when your pediatrician might not be available. Our pediatric urgent care center is open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
