What to Know When Bringing a Child to Urgent Care

If your child gets sick or injured, an urgent care center can be a great solution to ensure they receive prompt, high-quality healthcare. These clinics are also generally more affordable than an ER, and they can see you quickly – unlike waiting days for an appointment at your pediatrician’s office, or possibly many hours in the waiting area of the emergency room.

If you are considering using an urgent care center for your child, let’s talk about what you should know, and where you can go in Greater Fort Worth to find an outstanding walk-in clinic for the whole family.

When Would Urgent Care Be Best to Treat My Child?

Urgent care is all about receiving quick medical attention for a wide range of non-life-threatening health issues. They don’t require an appointment, they have extended opening hours, and the good urgent care centers are open every day – because they’re well aware of the fact that injuries and illnesses can also happen on the weekends and holidays.

The medical staffs at these walk-in clinics treat illnesses such as:

• Colds and the flu (influenza virus)
• Strep throat
• Sinus infections
• Upper-respiratory infections
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Stomach pain
• Stomach flu
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Dehydration
• Skin rashes and allergic reactions
• Insect bites/stings
• Poison ivy
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Abscesses, skin ulcers, and skin infections
• Ear infections
• Eye infections
• GERD (acid reflux)

And injuries including:

• Minor trauma
• Minor burns
• Minor fractures
• Minor dislocations
• Animal bites (not causing excessive bleeding)
• Sports injuries (sprained ankle, strained muscle, etc.)
• Cuts
• Contusions (significant or painful bruises)
• Tendonitis
• Foreign body removal (an object stuck in the nose or an orifice)

Urgent care centers are equipped with a variety of advanced services that are often associated with an ER, such as digital X-ray, lab testing facilities, and electrocardiogram (EKG), in order to diagnose and treat medical issues effectively.

How Can I Prepare for the Visit?

If you do have to take your child to an urgent care center, it is helpful to come prepared and to have as many details of your child’s problem as possible. This helps the doctor to gain a full picture and understanding of what type of treatment is necessary.

To prepare for the visit, be ready to provide details of:

• When the problem began (time of initial injury/illness)
• Frequency/severity of symptoms
• Treatments/medicines you have already tried, and the time when these were administered
• When your child last had something to eat or drink
• Any health concerns, illnesses, or allergies that the doctor should be aware of
• Current medications your child is taking (including medicines that are taken on an as-needed basis, and over-the-counter medicines)
• Relevant family history regarding the issue, if applicable
• Immunization records
• Details of your child’s primary care doctor or pediatrician

Can I Use Urgent Care for Other Pediatric Services?

Urgent care centers also provide a number of convenient medical services to help save you time, such as routine physicals for school, sports, travel, and employment, as well as immunizations and vaccinations.

When Should I Take My Child to the ER Instead?

Urgent care clinics can provide the highest quality pediatric and adult urgent care. It is, however, important to remember that an urgent care center is not able to deal with an emergency or life-threatening conditions.

Examples of when your child may require an ER evaluation include:

• Significant/uncontrollable bleeding
• Serious injury/burn/fracture
• Head injury with a loss of consciousness (even if brief), persistent vomiting, or the child is not acting normally
• Trouble breathing, or a blue or gray tint on their lips or face
• Concern for possible poisoning
• Seizures or convulsions
• A suspected spine or neck injury
• Severe allergic reaction
• Fever
• Widespread rash (particularly if there are small red or purple spots that do not turn white temporarily when pressed)
• Severe headache accompanied by confusion, blurred vision, or trouble walking
• Signs of dehydration (dry mouth, sunken eyes, malaise, irritability)

Urgent Care Center in North Richland Hills, TX

If your child needs to see a doctor today, visit EMC Express Care. Our urgent care clinic is staffed with dedicated healthcare professionals who offer a comprehensive range of adult and pediatric urgent care services, so we can respond to all of your medical needs quickly and effectively.

We offer prompt, high-quality medical care here at our walk-in clinic in North Richland Hills, Texas. If you would like more information about our healthcare services, call us today at (817) 503-8800 or stop in anytime from 10 am to 8 pm. We look forward to serving your family!