Being prepared for life’s unexpected emergencies is something every parent understands. Peace of mind comes with knowing that you have a place that you can run to when your child is in need of urgent care.
At Patient Care Now Urgent Care, our board-certified emergency medicine physicians are available to you every day of the week, to provide children the high-quality care that they need when they need it.
When you come to us, we will assess your child’s condition and will advise you when an emergency room is the best place to take your child. However, most acute pediatric problems can be addressed in urgent care settings, avoiding the expense and long waits at emergency rooms.
Here are the most common pediatric urgent care concerns that we attend to at our facility.
Cold/Flu/Sore Throat
The common cold is caused by many different viruses either in the air or on surfaces. Symptoms include mild fever, irritability, runny nose, cough, and congestion. Younger children may get a rash.
Especially given our situation this year, it is best to have your child evaluated and if you’re not sure, give us a call first. However, a cold usually subsides on its own, and treatment will just be to help with symptoms—cold medicines, fever reducing medicines, fluids and rest.
The flu is different from a cold; it is caused by one of the influenza viruses and is severe in nature. This is why experts recommend that beginning at 6 months old, children should be vaccinated once per year at the beginning of flu season in the fall.
When your child does catch the flu, the hallmark sign is a rapid onset of symptoms. They go from being fine to developing a high fever, irritability, fatigue, headache, cough, sore throat, and a runny nose within a few hours.
The younger your child is, the more complications the flu can cause. If you suspect the flu, you should bring your child for an urgent visit. Tests are available to confirm the diagnosis, and treatment needs to start within 48 hours from the onset of symptoms, to be effective.
Sore throats can be tricky because they can be either be caused by colds, flus, allergies, or a bacterial infection, a strep throat. Symptoms of strep throat include a fever, sore throat, a very red throat that often has pus, and sometimes, a headache. The best way to identify strep throat is through a test that can be done in an urgent care visit with us. Administration of antibiotics is imperative to prevent complications, such as kidney inflammation and rheumatic fever (fever that comes with joint pain and palpitations).
Earache
Earaches in children can be caused by a number of things. It may be one of the many symptoms of a common cold, when your child’s nose is congested. However, the infection can also be of the ear itself.
Otitis externa is an outer ear infection, caused by water getting in the ear, especially while swimming. It is generally treated with eardrops. If it is caused by dermatitis, it can be treated with a different kind of eardrops.
On the other hand, if it is otitis media, or an inner ear infection, your child will often have other cold symptoms and a fever. This type of infection warrants a consultation with any one of our doctors, as this needs oral antibiotic treatment.
If your child complains of ear pain, an urgent visit with us will get to the source of the problem, which sometimes is as simple as something your child put inside the ear.
Rashes
Children are prone to developing rashes, which are completely typical, depending on the age of your child. However, there are some, like roseola, that are caused by infections, and there are also those that are highly contagious, like the measles.
Diaper rashes can occur if diapers are not changed frequently enough, or skin is not cleansed properly during the change. If left untreated, a simple diaper rash can evolve into a fungal or bacterial infection.
Frequent rashes—especially in areas like behind the knee, inside the elbow, or behind the ear—are an indication of eczema.
The best way to identify the exact cause is to have your child physically examined by one of our doctors. An urgent care visit with us will get your child the right treatment.
Injuries
Some of the injuries that you may need an urgent visit for include sprains, cuts, burns, splinters, and even bone fractures.
Our physicians here at Patient Care Now have the expertise to diagnose your child’s injury, whether it be a sports injury or an open cut that needs bandaging or stitches. We will provide the urgent services needed to treat the injury and/or refer you to the emergency room or an orthopedic doctor, if necessary,
Stomachaches, Nausea, Vomiting or Diarrhea
One of the most common causes of stomachache, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting in children is viral gastroenteritis. This infection is passed from person to person by poor hand hygiene and touching the mouth with unclean hands. Gastroenteritis causes mild fever and dehydration, the latter of which is a major concern, especially in young children.
If your child is an infant, count the number of diaper changes for urine to make sure it’s not decreasing. Infants and children tend to urinate less when dehydrated and can get irritable or lethargic. Make sure to keep your child hydrated at all times. If your child is able to eat solid foods, keep it to lean meats, whole grains, and fruits or vegetables.
The problem may resolve on its own in a few days; otherwise, you should bring your child to our facility.
Our board-certified emergency medicine doctors here at Patient Care Now Urgent Care are always available to provide prompt treatment for a broad spectrum of acute pediatric conditions to children of all ages.
Don’t hesitate to request an appointment at our Fairless Hills office. Call us at (267) 202-6433, check in online, or better yet, simply walk right in. We’re available to serve you 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
