Parent Responses to Illness and Injury
One of the purposes of these guidelines is to help you determine
how sick your child is. Then it's time to make a decision and act. By
reading the questions and using your common sense, you should be able
to fit your child into one of the following five When to Call Your
Doctor categories:
Call 911
Now (your child may need an ambulance)
Definition: your child may have a life-threatening
emergency
Action: Immediately call 911 or your
Emergency Medical Response system.
Call Your
Doctor Now (night or day)
Definition: your child may have a non-life-threatening
emergency or urgent condition
Action: Call your child's doctor immediately. If you can't reach
your doctor within 60 minutes, go to the nearest emergency room by car.
If you don't have a doctor, go to the ER now.
Call Your
Doctor Within 24 Hours (between 9am and 4pm)
Definition: Your child probably has a nonurgent
illness that may require a specific test (such as a throat culture) or
an antibiotic (such as for an ear infection). Your child may need to be
seen, but it can safely wait for up to 24 hours.
Action: If the office is open, call now. If the office is closed
now, but will be open within 24 hours, call when it opens. If the office
won't be open within the next 24 hours, call your doctor's answering
service between 9 AM and 4 PM on any day of the week (including weekends
and holidays) for assistance. If you don't have a doctor, go to an urgent
care center or ER within the next 24 hours.
Call
Your Doctor During Weekday Office Hours
Definition: Your child has a nonurgent symptom or
illness that has lasted longer than expected (such as a persistent cough
or localized rash) but usually carries no risk of complications. Your
child may need to be seen in the office but can safely wait a few days
if it's the weekend or a holiday. If you don't have a doctor, choose a
doctor and make an appointment to be seen within the next 3 days.
Action: If the office is open, call now. Otherwise, call during
scheduled weekday office hours on Monday - Friday. (This category therefore
excludes weekends and holidays.)
Parent
Care at Home
Definition: Your child has a mild illness that's
usually self-limited or harmless. Follow the detailed home care advice
that's provided in each guideline.
Action: Your child can be safely cared for by you at home. Call
your doctor if your child's condition becomes worse.
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