EMERGENCY CARE

If your child needs an appointment, when traveling by car, even during an emergency, drive carefully and slowly and place your child in his car seat.

Call immediately for infants younger than 3 months of age, if the baby:

• is lethargic (very sleepy or difficult to arouse), has poor color, or appears limp and unresponsive.
• has a rectal temperature of 100.4°F or higher.
• hands or feet have a yellow “jaundiced” color, or if the baby develops orange skin.
• refuses to eat 3 or 4 times in a row.
• has a labored, wheezing or “grunting” breathing pattern that lasts longer than one-half hour
• has an illness associated with a rash that looks like bruising.

Call and schedule a same day appointment if:

• if you feel very nervous about your baby’s illness or general condition.
• the baby is extremely irritable or has a high-pitched cry that lasts longer than 1 hour.

Call and schedule a same day appointment for older children, if your child:

• seems unresponsive, does not make eye contact with you, or has cold and clammy skin that is not associated with vomiting.
• looks much sicker than usual with a “routine” illness.
• there is a rash that looks like bleeding under the skin or red freckles.
• has severe stomach pains that last longer than 2 hours, especially when they are located in the lower part of the abdomen.
• if vomiting has lasted longer than one day or if there is blood in the stool or vomit.
• appears dehydrated with a dry mouth or has not urinated in over 8 hours.
• has any symptom that you believe to be unusual or frightening, for example, labored breathing, severe headache, or very high fever (over 105°F).

Call about non-urgent illnesses during office hours and schedule an appointment if:

• you feel nervous or concerned about your child’s general appearance.
• your child has a symptom that comes and goes over an extended period of time.
• an illness or symptom seems to be getting worse or lasts longer than expected.
• there is fever of more than 101°F in a child under 12 months of age or in a child over 12 months that has persisted for more than 48 hours or is associated anytime with symptoms concerning to you.  A fever alone in a child over 12 months of age in an otherwise well-appearing child is not of concern until that time.
• an isolated sore throat has lasted longer than 2 days.
• a cough, runny nose or cold has lasted longer than 10 days.
• a symptom seems more severe than it has in the past.
• your child has a rash or other problem and you are not sure what is causing it.

Call and speak with a nurse if:

• you are not certain whether the child needs to be examined by the doctor.