• The Guide 2020
  • 2020 Family Favorites Winners!
  • Subscribe 🐝
Birmingham Parent

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -

  • Home
  • Magazine
    • Editor’s Note
    • Read Our Current Issue
    • View Past Issues
    • View Current Directories
    • Where to Pick Up a Copy of Birmingham Parent Magazine
  • Articles
    • Recent Articles
    • By Categories
      • Adoption
      • Behavior
      • Child Care
      • Child Development
      • Discipline
      • Eating & Nutrition
      • Expecting
      • Family Entertainment
      • Family Favorites
      • Family Finances
      • Family Relationships
      • Family Values
      • Feeding Your Family
      • Grandparenting
      • Health & Wellness
      • Holidays
      • Household Safety
      • Parenting
        • Infants
        • Preschoolers
        • Toddlers
        • School Age
        • Tweens & Teens
      • Safety
      • Special Needs
      • Travel
        • Adventure Travel
        • Family Travel Destinations
      • Vacations
      • Work & Family
  • Events
    • Search Events
      • Help – FAQ’s
    • Submit Your Event
    • Promote Your Event
  • Our Directories
    • Baby & Me (Expecting – Newborn)
    • Camps
      • Academic & Enrichment Camps
      • Adventure Camps
      • Creative Arts Camps
      • Day Camps
      • Holiday & Vacation Camps
      • Overnight Camps
      • Religious Camps
      • Special Needs Camps
      • Special Interest Camps
      • Sports Camps
    • Education & Enrichment
    • Health & Wellness
    • Party & Celebrations
    • Special Needs
  • 2020 Family Favorites Winners
HomeArticlesUrgent Care or the Emergency Room?


Urgent Care or the Emergency Room?


December 29, 2020 BP Staff
Urgent Care or the Emergency Room?

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

When and Where to Take Your Child (Please consult your physician. Every situation and child are different.)

Published: December 29, 2020
By: Carol Muse Evans

Your child spikes a fever or is having trouble stopping throwing up. Maybe they have had a spill and you’re wondering if it’s a break or simply a sprain. Should you try Urgent Care, or should you visit the emergency room?

Dr. Eric Jorge is a pediatric emergency medicine fellow at Children’s of Alabama. He’s seen children come to the emergency department who could have been treated at home. “It’s always a good place to start if your child is sick or has a fever, to call your on-call pediatrician or nurse,” Dr. Jorge says. “They can help guide you as to whether it’s appropriate to seek care in the emergency department or not.”

You should always take your child to the emergency department in a true emergency, according to Jorge. These signs include:

Go to the emergency room for:

  • serious injury
  • persistent vomiting
  • trouble breathing
  • not drinking enough, not urinating enough
  • unusual sleepiness or confusion
  • a head injury with vomiting
  • eye injury
  • serious burns
  • ingested poison or unknown substance

Call 911 if your child:

  • isn’t breathing or is turning blue
  • is unconscious after a fall
  • is having a seizure
  • has a serious allergic reaction
  • has broken a bone that sticks out through the skin
  • is choking
  • has a large cut that is bleeding uncontrollably 

But an urgent care facility may be just the ticket in a number of situations, especially when the pediatrician’s office is full or after their normal hours. “With an on-site lab, x-ray and pharmacy, our licensed pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners are equipped to treat everything from broken bones to lacerations needing stitches to strep, RSV, flu and more,” says Anna Peacock of Urgent Care for Children.

One of the most important questions a parent should ask themselves when deciding whether to take their child to Urgent Care for Children or the emergency room is if their child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, Peacock adds. “We at UC4C are able to provide care for kiddos with non-life-threatening medical needs, but on the other hand, the emergency room should be utilized when children face life-threatening conditions.” 

Other reasons to go to the emergency room:

  • difficulty breathing
  • severe allergic reactions
  • deep lacerations exposing fatty tissue
  • cuts to fingers, feet or face
  • infants under 2 months old running fever of 100.4 or higher

Some benefits to being able to access urgent care as an alternative to the emergency room may the wait time. “The average wait time at an emergency room can be four to six hours. At UC4C, wait times will vary based on season and patient volume, but you can expect a much shorter wait time,” Peacock says. You can even save your child’s spot online. In addition, Peacock says, you will find that your co-pay at urgent care is cheaper than a co-pay at a hospital ER.

Jorge stresses the importance of every child having a pediatrician. Through an established relationship with a pediatrician, a child can receive better long-term and care, and there is always someone on call 24-7 to help determine the best treatment for your child when you’re not sure if you need to take them to the emergency department. 

For more about Children’s of Alabama, visit www.childrensalorg.  For more about Urgent Care for Children, visit www.childrensurgent.com.

- Advertisement -

The Reunion Resort & Golf ClubPrevious

Kissimmee and Central Florida Minus the Mouse


ADHD Virtual ConferenceNext


ADHD Virtual Conference Planned for Jan. 28-29

Search

- Advertisement -

Upcoming Events

Click Here to Search All Events

Search Our Directories

  • Baby & Me
  • Education & Enrichment Guide
  • Health & Wellness
  • Kids’ Camps
  • Party & Celebrations
  • Special Needs Resources

Follow/Like Us on Facebook!

Family Features Recipes

Loading recipe...
Loading recipe...
More Stuff!
About Us | Where to Find Our Magazine | Advertise | Write for Us | Work for Us | Contact Us | View Past Issues | Print Directories | Find Us | Make A Payment
  • Home
  • Current Issue
    • Where to Pick Up a Copy of Birmingham Parent Magazine
  • Articles
  • Events
    • Submit Your Event
      • Help-FAQ’s
    • Promote Your Event
  • Our Directories
    • Baby & Me
    • Camps
    • Education & Enrichment
    • Health & Wellness
    • Party & Celebrations
    • Special Needs
  • Subscribe
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write for Us
    • Work for Us

Copyright © 2020 Birmingham Parent Magazine - Evans Publishing, LLC | Tel: 205-624-2405
Digital services provided by Digital Doowop