Breastfeeding.com - Going to the Emergency Room

When your child is sick or injured, it’s natural to panic and head straight for the emergency room, because you know that you can get care, regardless of the time, day, or severity of your child’s injury. In some cases, it is a true medical emergency and the ER is the most appropriate place to get care. In other cases, your child’s illness or injury can be handled at an urgent care clinic, or treatment can wait until your child’s doctor can see you.

When the ER is the right place to go, it’s important to know what to expect once you get there. Having this information ahead of time can help make the experience a little less stressful for you and your child.

Finding the Right ER at the Right Time

Talk with your child’s doctor about what to do — and what ER to go to — before you’re in a situation where you may need to go to one. The doctor may direct you to an ER that is close to you, or one in a hospital where he or she regularly sees patients.

But in an emergency, should your child go to an ER at a children’s hospital? Because they're dedicated to caring for kids, children’s hospitals probably have the most pediatric staff and facilities. So if it’s an emergency and a children’s hospital is conveniently located, consider going there. Otherwise, the community hospital nearest you probably can provide the medical care your child needs. If for any reason the hospital isn’t equipped to treat your child’s specific condition, the doctors there will arrange to have your child transferred to a facility that is.

Preparing to Go to the ER

When you go to the ER, it’s important to have a good handle on your child's symptoms. It’s also important to know your child’s medical history — allergies, past illnesses, injuries, surgeries, or chronic conditions. You may know this medical history by heart. But consider writing it down so it's handy if you feel flustered in the chaos of the emergency. And making a written record readily available at home will allow anyone caring for your child — such as a babysitter — to provide it if your child is seen at the ER.

The medical history should include:

• medications your child is taking
• allergies
• history of previous hospitalizations
• any previous surgeries
• illnesses
• relevant family history

If you go to the ER because your child has ingested a particular medication or household product, bring whatever was ingested. That will help the doctors understand what kind of treatment your child requires. If your child has swallowed an object, bring an example of that object, if possible.

At any ER, except in the most critical emergencies, be prepared to wait. Consider bringing something to do while you wait, such as books, magazines, knitting, or bills to pay. You may also want to bring pen and paper to write down any questions you have for the doctor. Bring things for your child to do as well, such as crayons, books, toys, and comforting objects, like stuffed animals.

If you think there’s a chance that your child might have to be admitted to the hospital, you may want to grab a change of clothes and toothbrushes for your child and yourself.

Most ERs have some translation services or someone who can help translate. If you do not speak English fluently, consider bringing along a family member or friend who can help you translate as well.

What to Expect at the ER

There’s no way to predict how long you’ll have to wait to be seen at the ER. If your child has a severe medical problem, be assured that the doctors will provide whatever attention is needed right away. Because doctors attend to the most severe injuries and illnesses first, there’s a good chance that if you are there with a minor injury, you’ll have to wait longer. Even if the waiting room is empty, you still may have to wait if the exam rooms are filled or many doctors and nurses are attending to a particularly serious case.

While you wait, there’s a chance that you — and your child — may see some very sick and injured people come into the ER. The sights and sounds of people who are seriously hurt or sick can be frightening. So assure your child that the ER is the best place for the hurt people to be and that this is where the doctors can help them feel better. You might even give an example of a time when your child or someone you know was injured, and as scary as it was at the time, all was fine after the doctor’s care.

Soon after arriving at the ER, your child probably will be seen by a nurse, who will ask about your child's symptoms, check your child's vital signs, and make a quick assessment. This evaluation, which is also called triage, helps determine the speed with which your child will be seen.

When you’re in the ER, it’s a good idea to write down important information from the visit. It's scary and stressful when your child is in the ER, so it can be hard to remember details you may need later, such as the names of any doctors who see your child, what they say about the illness or injury, any medications or treatment they give your child, and any directions for follow-up or care at home.

A specialist might not be on-site if you go to the ER on the weekend or at night, but if the problem requires it, one will be called in. If it requires surgery, a surgeon will be contacted.

In many cases, the doctor who treats your child in the ER will contact your child’s primary care doctor afterwards. If your child is admitted to the hospital, the emergency room doctor will let your child’s doctor know. Some ERs provide written or computer-generated documentation of the visit and others dictate and fax the report to the primary care doctor. Carry a copy of the papers you receive when your child is discharged to share with your child's doctor.

Reviewed by: Kate M. Cronan, MD
Date reviewed: March 2006