Have you ever thought of what you would need to do if your child was hurt or sick enough to be taken to the emergency room? Do you have a checklist of emergency information?
I had never thought of what I would do in the event of an emergency until my son got seriously ill. My toddler has been sick and my only thought was to take him to our pediatrician. Now that the weekend is upon us and my son is getting worse, I am faced with thinking about a back-up plan. What would I do if he needed emergency care?
Although my son was born at my preferred hospital, I can’t be sure that is where he would end up now. The one time he had to go to the hospital for tests we were sent to the nearest hospital. However, the nearest hospital is not my preference.
Thinking about these things has forced me to make two checklists. A quick checklist of what to do if my son needs emergency care is one list and one that includes the reasons that he would need emergency care.
Being prepared in the event of an emergency helps make a stressful situation manageable. If you are not prepared, you may make the situation worse by forgetting something important.
Take a minute to review some of the steps you should take in an emergency situation:
*Call an ambulance. Do this if the need is there. Otherwise, you could drive your child to the hospital yourself. You will have to make this determination. Keep in mind that paramedics can administer oxygen, Benadryl and other life-saving drugs and procedures if the situation is severe. If you drive, make sure you know the fastest route to the emergency room.
*Call your pediatrician. In some cases, he or she may refer you to the hospital of their choice. They may come to the hospital. They may also need to transfer medical records.
*Gather current medications. If your child is taking any medications, bring them with you to the emergency room.
*Bring anything pertaining to the emergency. This may sound strange, but having worked in a hospital for a few years, I can tell you this is helpful. If your child was bitten by a spider and you can capture the spider in a jar, it eliminates the question of what type of spider. If your child sprayed cleaner and ingested some, bring it. If your child got one of your pills from your medicine cabinet, bring in the rest. Anything related to the emergency can be helpful to doctors. If your child swallows a small piece of plastic from a craft project, bring in the other pieces.
Once you consider those factors, focus on the reasons you should take a child to the emergency room:
*Your child is unconscious or unresponsive.
*Your child is showing signs of an allergic reaction (swollen lips or tongue, hives, difficulty breathing, etc.)
*Your child has severe burns on hands, feet, face, chest or groin. Or your child suffered a burn larger than two inches in diameter.
*Your child is having a seizure.
*Your child is turning blue (as a result of choking or lack of oxygen)
*Your child has fever accompanied by rash, stiff neck or splotches on skin.
*Your child is in severe pain.
*Your child has a large or deep cut that won’t stop bleeding.
*Your child is confused or disoriented.
*Your child has a headache, is vomiting, is confused or loses consciousness after hitting his head.
*Your child has been continuously vomiting or having diarrhea for over ten hours. Your child will become dehydrated if he does not keep enough fluids down.
*Your child has swallowed an object, ingested a dangerous substance or been bitten by a snake, spider or animal.
If your child has any of these injuries, a trip to the emergency room is warranted.
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