What is a Medical Emergency?
healthy living tipcanada
(Apr.26.11)
By Ari Brown, MD, and Denise Fields
Q: How do I decide what is a medical emergency?
A: If you are worried that your child's life is in danger, call 911. Otherwise, call you doctor's emergency line. We've listed some medical emergencies below to help you decide.
Call 911 if your child has:
1) Extreme difficulty breathing, or is not breathing.
2) Altered mental status (unarousable, unresponsive, confused, lethargic, or irritable).
3) A seizure.
4) A fever with stiff neck, severe headache, and light sensitivity.
5) Uncontrollable bleeding.
6) A head injury with altered mental status (confusion, lethargy, unresponsiveness, or combative), vomiting, trouble walking, headache.
7) Blue, purple, or gray lips or skin.
8) Severe pain or is inconsolable.
9) Vomiting blood (not just a streak).
Go to the nearest emergency room if you child has:
1) A cut/laceration that may need stitches.
2) Not been urinating at least three times a day with an illness.
3) Fever and looks very ill.
4) A large amount of bloody poop.
5) Petechiae rash that is spreading quickly.
Excerpted from Toddler 411, copyright 2011, Ari Brown MD and Denise & Alan Fields. Published by Windsor Peak Press. Authors Ari Brown, MD, and Denise Fields, MOM, have been there, done that! Dr. Brown is an official spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and a trusted source on children's healthcare. She's been featured on NBC's Today Show and is a medical advisor to Parents Magazine and WebMD. Denise Fields is the best-selling author of Baby Bargains and has been featured as a parenting expert on Oprah and in the Wall Street Journal. Between them, they have four children, ages 11 to 16.
