Your child falling ill suddenly in the middle of the night or over the weekend when your pediatrician is unavailable can prove to be quite a stressful scenario. You need to know where to go for immediate medical attention.
However, before you leave for the hospital, you need to determine whether your child is facing a life-threatening condition or not. Ascertaining this fact will help you know where to take your child for treatment.
This is because if your child is facing a life-threatening medical issue such as difficulties breathing, persistent high fever, or even poison ingestion, then the right place for you to rush to would be to a children’s emergency care facility.
Whereas if your child is suffering from a non-life threatening medical emergency such as diarrhea, vomiting, a minor laceration, and so on then, the right facility to take them to would be a 24-hour pediatric urgent care clinic.
In the case of a medical emergency, your regular pediatrician could help you decide where to go for help based on your child’s current medical situation.
You could reach your pediatrician on the phone and inform them of your emergency, and this will enable them to guide you on where to go next, and even make phone calls in advance to the nearest emergency room near you.
In the past, the only emergency facility available was a general emergency room within a hospital; however, recently, as a parent, you have the choice to take your ailing children to a pediatric ER near you.
Pediatric ERs are child friendly, and child-focused, equipped to handle all pediatric medical emergencies.
What is the Difference Between a Pediatric ER and a General ER?
Although both of these medical facilities are equipped and prepared to handle any medical emergency, there is a big difference between these emergency rooms that makes pediatric ER’S a better option for most pediatric medical emergencies.
Here are some of the key differences:
- Medical equipment
While both pediatric and general emergency rooms come equipped with emergency lifesaving equipment, they differ in terms of the type of medical equipment they have.
Within pediatric emergency rooms, the medical equipment has been customized and standardized to fit the needs of the ailing pediatric patients they are treating.
This may include smaller beds, child-sized furniture, or even Broselow tapes and ECG monitors fitted with pediatric paddles.
- A Child-friendly Environment
Pediatric emergency rooms, unlike general emergency rooms, have a child-friendly environment, which is designed to soothe and even keep children distracted and pacified during treatment.
This may include having examination rooms with very colorful walls and murals and waiting rooms that are packed with toys and television sets tuned to their favorite shows.
Such an environment helps to ease any anxiety these pediatric patients could have during these medical emergencies.
- Trained Physicians
Pediatric emergency rooms are run by pediatricians who are trained and experienced in emergency pediatrics.
These physicians are adequately trained because for one to qualify as a pediatric emergency doctor; you need to undergo three years of specialized pediatric training and another three years in medical emergency training.
The nurses in pediatric ERs are also explicitly trained to handle children and care for pediatric cases.
This may not be the case in general ERs. The physicians there might be trained to handle all emergency cases; however, they would not have the expertise to handle pediatric emergencies, and most of these cases end up being referred to children’s emergency care facilities.
- Child Life Specialists
These are experts that are trained to comfort and distract kids during medical procedures that are painful or scary. Child life experts are usually present on staff in all pediatric emergency centers and are vital in ensuring that the children remain at ease during any medical procedures.
- Safe and High Quality Care
Pediatric emergency rooms also have respiratory therapists who are specially trained to understand the pediatric airway, ensuring your child is safe during medical procedures. These are just some of the specialists who are on call in pediatric ERs to ensure your child receives high quality medical care.
They are also trained to carry out drug prescription and dosage based on the weight and height of your child, ensuring that your child gets safe and right drug dosages on all medications.
A pediatric emergency room is probably the best place to rush your child to during a life-threatening medical emergency.
If you are looking for the best pediatric ER near Temple Texas, we have you covered. At Express ER (Temple), we are equipped and ready to help you and your child get through any medical emergency.
