Pediatric Emergency Services in New Jersey
If your child has been injured or has fallen ill, do they need to visit an emergency room or an urgent care facility, or can it wait until their pediatrician can see them? It may be hard to know what to do at times. That is why Touchpoint Pediatrics, located in Chatham, New Jersey, has doctors on call by telephone 24 hours a day. Here, the pediatricians at Touchpoint Pediatrics talk about emergency pediatric services.
When Should a Parent Seek Pediatric Emergency Services?
How quickly does a child need to seek medical care? If a child is experiencing life-threatening symptoms or becomes permanently disabled, it is an emergency, and parents should call 911. Signs emergency medical services are necessary include:
- Bleeding that cannot be stopped
- Choking
- Head injury with passing out, throwing up, or not behaving typically
- Injury to the neck or spine
- Possible poisoning (call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222)
- Seizure that lasts longer than five minutes
- Severe burn
- Stopped breathing or turning blue
In the event of a life-threatening emergency regarding your child, call 911 or head to the nearest emergency room, and notify Touchpoint Pediatrics after the situation stabilizes.
There are other reasons to take your child to an emergency room that do not require an ambulance or an emergency medical team. Those types of problems include:
- A body part near an injured bone is numb, tingling, weak, cold, or pale
- Coughing or throwing up blood
- Deep wound
- Fast heartbeat that does not slow down
- Heavy bleeding
- High fever that does not get better with medicine
- High fever with headache and stiff neck
- Mouth is dry, no tears, no wet diapers in 18 hours, soft spot in the skull is sunken (dehydrated)
- Passing out, fainting
- Possible broken bone (primarily if the bone is pushing through the skin) and loss of movement
- Serious burn
- Severe allergic reaction with trouble breathing, swelling, hives
- Suddenly hard to wake up, too sleepy, or confused
- Suddenly not able to speak, see, walk, or move
- Throwing up or loose stools that do not stop
- Trouble breathing
- Unusual or bad headache or chest pain
Be Prepared for Emergency Pediatric Services
If your child requires immediate care, take them to the nearest emergency room. For interactive maps and driving directions to the local hospitals, click on the following links:
- Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ
- Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ
- Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ
If you ever need to go to the emergency room, it is helpful if you know your child’s medical history. Information to know includes:
- Any allergies
- Any previous surgeries
- Chronic conditions or illnesses
- History of previous hospitalizations
- Immunization history
- Medicines your child takes
- Relevant family history
Keep this information written down in a place where it is easy to grab during an emergency and take the time to update it a few times a year.
When To Take Your Child to Touchpoint Pediatrics
If your child is sick or has an injury, there are some cases when they need to see a pediatrician, but emergency medical services aren’t needed. Some of those incidents include:
- Bladder and urinary tract infections
- Bumps, minor cuts, and scrapes
- Coughs, colds, and sore throats
- Earaches
- Fever
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Sinus pain
- Skin problems
- Sprains and strains
- Upset stomach
If you need urgent medical advice, one of the Touchpoint pediatricians is always available on call by telephone, 24 hours a day. Our contact us page provides instructions for reaching the on-call doctor.
Choose Touchpoint Pediatrics for Your Child’s Care
At Touchpoint Pediatrics in Chatham, New Jersey, our pediatricians provide skilled, compassionate care to see your child through infancy to adolescence and young adulthood. The physicians at Touchpoint Pediatrics take the time to get to know parents and their children and listen to the concerns that parents may have.
Touchpoint Pediatrics is currently accepting new patients. If you are interested in seeking care from our practice or are looking to schedule an appointment, contact us today.