In the United States alone, almost 30 million children visit the emergency room each year. The reality is you may wind up visiting the emergency room with your child eventually. Rather than be unprepared, here are some tips to help you prepare for such an event in your family.
Choose Your Destination
If you have a serious Pediatric emergency in North Charleston, SC area, you should go to the closest emergency room. It is important to use time wisely in these situations. Be sure you know where the closest emergency room is located. If you have a pediatrician, do you know which hospital they are affiliated with? If you don’t know, it’s a good idea to find out.
If your first option is to take your child to an urgent care center or emergency room and they don’t have pediatricians or pediatric specialists available, you may need to have your child transferred to a hospital that does. Usually, children’s hospitals have an atmosphere that is child-friendly. They have colorful rooms, bright murals and child-size furniture. Usually in the waiting room they have toys to play with and televisions that are playing kid-friendly shows. They may also have a child life specialist to help make your child’s stay in the ER more comfortable. They are highly trained and can help families during and after the emergency.
Call Your Pediatrician
During an emergency try to give your pediatrician’s office a call. They can give you advice over the phone. If you do need to go to the emergency room for pediatric emergency care, your pediatrician can help. They can call ahead and let the emergency room staff know you are on your way.
Stay Calm
Children naturally look to their parents for reassurance. Oftentimes, the anxiety around an emergency is worse than the actual pain the child feels. When a child sees their parents panic, it raises their anxiety level. It is important to stay calm and to keep communicating. Talk to your child about what is going on. Be honest and sensitive to the situation. Keep reminding them that they have everyone around them to help.
Bring Important Documentation
When you get to the emergency room you will need some important information. It is important to have it readily available. Here are some examples of what to bring:
- Health insurance information
- Primary pediatrician name and contact information
- Any allergy information
- Medical and surgical history
- Any medications they are taking
- A list of events in chronological order leading up to the emergency room visit
- The last time your child ate
It is very likely that you will have to take your child to the emergency room in the future. Taking care of your child is extremely important. If you’re looking for pediatric emergency care and are in the North Charleston, South Carolina area, contact Palmetto Pediatrics at (843) 212-2008 or online at charlestonpalmettopediatrics.com.
