What Are Common Reasons Children Admitted To The Emergency Room?
June 9, 2023
Children are often susceptible to numerous illnesses and conditions, some of which can be serious and might require emergency medical care. Recognizing the signs that indicate the need for pediatric emergency care can help you handle these situations effectively. This article discusses the common reasons children go to the emergency room and how to deal with these emergencies.
Common Pediatric Emergencies
- Respiratory issues: Respiratory problems like pneumonia, asthma attacks, or bronchitis are common reasons for seeking pediatric emergency care. Serious symptoms like difficulty breathing, fast heart rate, fast breathing, severe coughing, color change in the skin or lips, and fever often accompany these conditions. Immediate medical intervention is essential to manage the issues.
- Infections: Since children don’t have a fully developed immune system, they are more susceptible to infection from bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Common infections that can prompt you to visit the ER include respiratory infections, ear infections, severe flu infections, and urinary tract infections.
- Severe trauma or injuries: You should visit the ER if your child has serious injuries from car or sports accidents or falls. Serious injuries that can prompt you to seek emergency care include deep cuts, burns, broken or sprained bones, sprains, and head injuries.
- Digestive issues: Many things can cause emergency stomach problems in children. For instance, ingesting bacteria, fungi, or viruses can cause stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and allergies. Digestion issues can also be caused by intestinal obstruction, where the intestines are blocked.
- Skin allergies or conditions: Serious skin symptoms like severe itching, inflammation, rashes, hives, chickenpox, scratching, pain, or redness can cause the need for pediatric emergency care. Certain foods, genetic factors, viruses, and environmental factors can cause these issues.
- Seizures: Seizures can indicate a serious condition and should be urgently addressed. Commonly, seizures in children are caused by medical conditions like epilepsy and high fever.
- Severe pain: Common types of pain in children that should prompt you to visit a pediatric emergency room near you include tooth pain, abdominal pain, headaches, orthopedic pain, or chest pain.
- Chronic health conditions: Certain health conditions can cause severe symptoms like difficulty breathing, causing the need for emergency care. These conditions can include neurological disorders, metabolic disorders, and congenital heart problems.
Do you need pediatric emergency care near you? Contact our pediatric ER in Cypress, TX.
How to Deal with Pediatric Emergencies
Knowing how to deal with pediatric emergencies is vital to ensure your child receives prompt and reliable medical care. Below are several tips on how to handle children’s emergencies:
- Stay calm: Staying calm in emergencies can help you think clearly, make proper decisions, and communicate effectively with your child and medical professionals.
- Assess the situation: Examine the child’s symptoms to determine the severity of the issue and whether or not emergency care is necessary. If the situation is life-threatening, drive to the emergency room near you or call 911. If the condition isn’t an emergency, you can visit an urgent care facility near you.
- Comfort your child: Calm your child by reassuring them that everything will be fine and they will receive the necessary care on time. It can help alleviate fear or anxiety, making the situation more manageable.
- First aid: First aid can help reduce pain and other symptoms and stabilize your child’s condition as you wait for professional care. Basic first aid practices include cleaning or dressing minor wounds, administering over-the-counter medications, and applying heat or cold therapy.
- Follow-up care: Once the child gets emergency care, ensure they take all the medication and follow the doctor’s post-care instructions to ensure a speedy recovery.
Visit Fairfield Emergency Room for Pediatric Care
Does your child have serious and life-threatening symptoms? Emergency pediatric care is essential to alleviate pain and other symptoms and address the underlying condition. In some cases, emergency care can save your child’s life. Visit our emergency room immediately if your child is experiencing any serious or life-threatening symptoms.