Study About Autism and ER Visits Reveals Much

A recent study found that children who have an autism spectrum disorder are nine times more likely to visit an emergency room for a psychiatric reason than are children who do not have autism. This result is being interpreted to mean that there isn’t sufficient outpatient mental health care for families that need it. A study was recently published in the journal Pediatric Emergency Care. Researchers analyzed data from over 3.9 million emergency room visits in the United States. Specifically, they focused on ER visits by children who were between 3 and 17 years old. The researchers used the 2008 … Continue reading

First Trip To The ER

Well we are only a few months into being parents and so far we have been called to school for stealing and getting naked by no trips to the emergency room. Well that changed one night when I was home with the boys and my husband was at a concert. I had already fed the boys and we were doing baths, I did George first because he was easy. When I was helping Steve who is only three with his bath first we played with some toys and when it came time to wash his hair he did not want … Continue reading

Did You Have to Get Sick on a Sunday?

Does it ever seem like your child gets sick more often on a Saturday or Sunday than any other day of the week? It has seemed like that at our house lately. Two Saturdays ago, I was sure our daughter had an ear infection, so I made an appointment for her. Luckily, despite the fact that it was Saturday, a pediatrician was available to see her. We entered the nearly empty waiting room, and I questioned whether it was a good idea for us to be there. The only other people in there were a mother and teenage daughter, who … Continue reading

Tips for Preventing Summer ER Visits

Want to stay out of the emergency room this summer? I know I do. Across the United States, emergency care facilities see nearly a twenty percent jump in traffic during the summer months… and now that I think about it, the majority of my ER visits have been during the summer. Knowing is half the battle… preparation and prevention is the other half. (Sorry, G.I. Joe!) Here are some things you can do to make the summer months safer and healthier. Always drink plenty of water. Dehydration is a huge health issue during the summer months! Always wear sunscreen. Yes, … Continue reading

Thanksgiving in the Emergency Room

We have been very fortunate. Up until this point, neither of my younger children had ever wound up in the emergency room. That all changed on the night before Thanksgiving, when our adventurous two-year-old (his first word after Mama and Dada was “uh-oh”) obtained a gash that required emergency care. It was our fault really. While our older children were sent off to bed, we kept our youngest up while we were finishing up putting the Christmas tree together. It was a way to spend some time with him alone, and finish up our task without the interruption of the … Continue reading

Do You Really Need The Emergency Room?

Millions of Americans choose the emergency room for routine health care instead of visiting a regular physician. Some are forced to do this because they lack health insurance or cannot pay bills. Some people believe they will get problems dealt with faster at the emergency room, instead of calling for an appointment with a regular family doctor or general practitioner. In 2005, there were approximately ten million emergency room visits for non-emergency care. An average visit to the emergency room costs more than $380, while the average visit to a physician’s office costs around $60. Unnecessary emergency room visits can … Continue reading