As a parent, it’s your job to make sure that your child is well taken care of and safe. However, even the best parents might not know how to handle a 6 PM ear infection and a fever spike. At that time, the pediatrician’s office is closed. Do you take him to the emergency room or to the urgent care clinic? This is a question that every parent has probably asked. Urgent care clinics are a great resource. With highly trained medical professionals on staff, they can provide the same care that your family doctor can. So, when do you take your child to urgent care in Downey? Non-life Threatening Injuries If your child has been hit in the face with a ball or fallen on the playground, it’s okay to take to go to urgent care. These clinics are able to treat these non-life threatening injuries quickly and carefully. Plus, most urgent care clinics are open on weekends. This is especially great for those kids who seem to incur injuries during their weekend sporting matches. However, if your child is bleeding heavily or unconscious, it’s always best to call 911 or head to the emergency room. Sprains and Fractures No matter how the broken bone happened, it can be treated at urgent care. The doctors on staff are well equipped to take x-rays, diagnose, and treat broken bones. They have the supplies necessary to put a cast on and help your child remain comfortable during the process. If the fracture is causing the bone to stick through the skin, however, call an ambulance. Moving your child during this type of injury could result in further damage. Head Injuries If your child has bumped his or her head, it can often times be treated with a trip to the urgent care clinic. However, there are exceptions to this rule. If your child is vomiting, having a hard time staying awake, or not acting normally, take your child to the emergency room right away. This could be an indication of a more serious injury. Acute Illnesses Sometimes you need your child to see a doctor, and your regular pediatrician’s schedule is full. Maybe it’s after hours or maybe it’s the weekend. If your child has a cough, fever, or sore throat, a trip to the urgent care can be comforting. Urgent care staff is able to accommodate walk-in appointments and provide the same care given at a general practitioner’s office. Accidental Intake Your child has swallowed something or stuck something up his or her nose. It happens all of the time. Your child finds something just big enough that it gets stuck in the nose or caught in the mouth. No matter how hard you try, you can’t get it out. Head on in to the urgent care clinic and allow the medical professionals to take care of the problem. Clinicians will be able to accommodate your situation and keep your child at ease while they remove the foreign object. However, as a rule of thumb, if your child is struggling to breathe after swallowing something or putting something in his or her nose, call an ambulance immediately. Urgent care in Downey is a great resource for anyone. These clinics offer medical care after hours and can treat a multitude of injuries and illnesses. Plus, they are usually less expensive than a normal trip to the emergency room. If you aren’t sure whether you should go to an urgent care clinic or the emergency room, call the clinic. If the situation is one that should be treated at a hospital, the urgent care clinic will alert you and help to make arrangements.
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