When Is Pediatric Urgent Care Your Best Option: 5 Signs

Kids get into all sorts of things. So, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise when they get sick or injured. The key is in knowing what type of health facility to take them to.

In some cases, 24-hour children’s urgent care is the best option. In other cases, pediatric urgent care will suffice. Wondering when the latter is the better option?

Here are 5 signs that you should take your child to urgent care.

1. Your Child Has a Sore Throat

A sore throat can be uncomfortable, but in the vast majority of cases, it’s not worth a visit to the ER. Urgent care facilities are well-equipped to handle problems associated with a sore throat, whether it be cold or just allergies.

The only exception here would be if the sore throat is accompanied by white spots on the tonsils. This can signify a more serious problem, and oftentimes, indicates strep throat.

2. Your Child Has an Ear Infection

Ear infections are fairly common in children. In most cases, they’re not a serious cause for concern. So, if your child is complaining of an earache, you should head straight to urgent care.

Ear infections are generally treated with antibiotics, which can be prescribed to you by an urgent care doctor.

3. Your Child Has a Cut, Burn, or Contusion

Barring anything severe (such as second or third-degree burns or cuts that expose bone), cuts, burns, and contusions should be taken to urgent care. Urgent care can stitch up cuts while treating burns so that they don’t turn into serious infections.

If the burn or cut is out of the ordinary, on the other hand, you should head straight to the ER.

4. Your Child Has Pink Eye

Almost everyone gets pink eye at some point. In most cases, this happens as a child. Fortunately, pink eye doesn’t require treatment at an ER; urgent care can handle it just fine.

If necessary, urgent care doctors can even prescribe antibiotics for the problem. This is in addition to applying artificial tears and cold compresses.

5. Your Child Has Been Vomiting

What about cases of vomiting or even diarrhea? Generally speaking, these can be treated at urgent care. The only exception is if blood is present in the blood or stool.

If your child is vomiting or having diarrhea, there’s a good chance that he or she has the flu. This will typically pass with time, though it can be treated with prescribed medications. Learn more about urgent care treatment now!

Pediatric Urgent Care is Best for Semi-emergencies

Generally speaking, pediatric urgent care is best for handling semi-emergencies. If your child’s life is at stake, or if his or her injuries could go on to cause life-long medical problems, you should head to the ER. If your child has a debilitating by temporary illness, you should head to urgent care for children.

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