It’s a moment every parent dreads. You believe your child needs critical medical care and decide you must go to the hospital.
Christopher Strother, MD, Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital, offers some helpful tips on when you should take your child to the emergency room and how to best prepare. The Mount Sinai Hospital recently completed a full renovation of the Children’s Emergency Department, which features state-of-the-art technology and treatment rooms, and specially trained staff.
What are the most common pediatric emergencies?
For children, the three biggest things that we see in the emergency department are infections, such as the flu, stomach viruses that can cause patients to get dehydrated, and high fevers. That’s followed by injuries: falls, broken arms, cuts, and head injuries. In New York, we also see a lot of patients with asthma, especially during the spring allergy season.
When should you take your child to the emergency department?
It’s a tough question. Anytime your child is in pain, or you’re scared, or you’re worried about their safety, we’re here for you 24/7. We’re there for anything, and if you think you need to see somebody right away and you’re not sure where else to go. There are many reasons to come to the hospital, such as severe pain or injuries, or anytime you’re worried about your child’s health and safety. The things we worry the most about are trouble breathing, dehydration, and major injuries.
How does the children’s emergency room at The Mount Sinai Hospital differ from a regular emergency room?
The biggest difference in a children’s emergency room is the people who work there. The doctors and nurses are all pediatric trained and comfortable taking care of sick children. If your child needs medications, an IV, or a procedure, the people who do that are trained to do it with children. We also have child life specialists who will help kids cope with the experience. Our staff will help your child be comfortable. They can educate you and your child on what’s happening and what’s going be next. Our expertise, our staff, and our training and the focus on children really set us apart.
What else is new at the Emergency Department?
The new Emergency Department is tailored to the needs of children and their families, with a separate space from the adult ED that is connected to all services within Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital.
We’ve increased the size of the Department as well as redone the entire space. It’s brighter and very child friendly, with lots of colors and other features that make the experience calmer and safer for kids. Video tablets have something to keep kids busy, distracted, and calm. We have a whole wall with an interactive video for the kids to look at. It feels like a family environment. We’ve also created are a “low-stimulation room,” which is a single room a little bit apart for children with autism or other neurodevelopmental challenges, where they can be quiet and calm. We also have a separate area with the most advanced equipment where we can take the best care of critically ill children.
How common are children only emergency rooms?
We’re lucky here in New York. We have several children’s hospitals in New York City and around the area. A lot of places in the country don’t have any. A major city might have one children’s emergency department. Most children who go to the emergency department in the United States go to a general emergency department. Pediatric emergency departments are a unique thing.
What else does Mount Sinai offer?
Mount Sinai has two other pediatric emergency departments, one at Mount Sinai-Union Square downtown and one at Mount Sinai Morningside on the Upper West Side. At all of the emergency departments throughout Mount Sinai Health System, we keep in touch with how they take care of children. So even if you’re not in one of our children’s emergency departments, our pediatric specialists are working closely with the other emergency department to make sure that your child gets the best care.
What are some tips for parents taking their child to the emergency room?
- If possible, call your pediatrician first. Sometimes you’re worried. Things may look scary, and you feel you must go right away. If you have a minute to think about it, I always suggest giving your pediatrician a call if you can. It helps in a few ways. Sometimes talking to your pediatrician or your regular doctor can actually keep you from having to go. Sometimes they can make an appointment the next day or give you some advice that might allow you to stay home for this visit.
- Be prepared to spend some time in the emergency department. If you need to go, be prepared to be there for a while. Bring a charger for your phone, and a book. A visit may last a couple of hours. It can take time to perform X-rays or tests.
- ·Be ready to tell the medical staff about any medications your child is taking. Either bring the medications with you or write them down. It’s extremely helpful to the staff at the hospital to know what your child has taken already and when they took it. For example, if you have given Tylenol or Motrin, write it down. Let us know when was last time. Or if your child has any allergies to medications, let us know right away.
- ·Let us know as soon as possible if your child has any chronic medical conditions. For example, if your child has sickle cell disease, when you come into the emergency department with a fever let the first person you talk to know they have a fever and sickle cell disease. Because that can change the way we approach a patient and the tests that are done. Be up front and an advocate for your child’s history.