would you take your kid to the ER knowing it's not an emergency

[nada87]

DD2 has a nasty diaper rash, we've been battling yeast since she was 4 mo old (she's coming up on 11 months now) and have been through every natural remedy I could find plus every prescription cream the dr's would give me. Currently we are on prescription cream 6 coconut oil with tto mixed in and probiotics. It did go away for a month but came back a few weeks ago. Anyways, her butt is really bad today and the dr's office is closed till Tuesday. She seems to be uncomfortable but not to bad (except when she poos and we have to wipe it off) I want to take her to the ER but I know its not really an emergency. If it gets any worse I will definatly take her in but I can't decide if I should take her in anyway.
so would you take your child in to the ER if you knew is wasn't a real emergency but wouldn't be able to see the dr for a few days?

[BottomOfMyHearts]

Do you have a "Quick Care" clinic there? That's why I voted "other."

If someones arm isn't falling off etc, I avoid the ER like the plague. Takes them forever to see you and there are SIIIIIICK people there. Usually "dirty" people too.

Quick care clinics seem to be my goto alternative. They are open 7 days a week around here from 7am-8pm usually.

[Dawndelion]

Does your doctor's office have a phone number to call out of hours? I would try that first rather than sit and wait in the ER, deal with that co-pay, and expose the baby to who knows what while you are waiting. Plus, your regular doctor should be able to access her history which should really help in this case.

[33andunder]

I voted other. I would take my child to an medical "clinic" if they have those where you are. If it were the middle of the night and I thought that my child needed antibiotics and it couldn't wait til morning, then I would go to emergency although it wouldn't be a true emergency. I have had to do this myself with UTI's, and although it wasn't life or death, it was urgent!

[rainydaysunshine]

I agree, this might be better addressed at an urgent care office. IMO using the ER for anything besides a true emergencies is akin to calling 911 for anything but a true emergency. I have lots of family in in emergency medicine (including DH that is a paramedic), so I hear about these "abuses" all the time. But I agree; the emergency services are stretched thin to begin with and people should avoid adding to that unnecessarily, if at all possible.

[MommyMandi]

I have heard that plain yogurt directly on the bum can help. Only had a yeast issue once and didn't need it. Just a thought.

[BeckyP]

Last week we took our 6year old to the ER because he was crying of ear pain. We tried every over the counter that we could and nothing was helping the pain. It was about 1am and there was no place else to take him so we took him to the ER. It is really a lot of money but I will not let my child be in pain if there is something they can do. For a diaper rash, I'm not sure what they would do for her. I think I would just keep her home and go diaper free. Do you have a clinic in your City that sees patients on the weekends. Here we have Doc's on call for someone who needs to be seen but it isn't really an emergency but they are only open until 9pm so we were not able to take our DS there. If it gets bad and she is in a lot of pain then for sure I would take her in. I would just hate to go and sit and wait and pay a ton of money for them to look at her and send you home and not really do anything to help.

[nada87]

that's what I'm thinking--its not a real emergency so I shouldn't take her but I want to cry everytime I change her diaper. I don't think there are any urgent care centers near me, I think the closest one is close to an hour away. I'm training to be a medical assistant so I know that healthcare gets abused all of the time and want to avoid it at all costs but she's my baby. we just started the current treatment for her rash yesterday but this is the worst its been, i'm worried the cream they prescribed is just making it worse.

[Kriket]

In that case I wouldn't go. You have to weigh the pros and cons. Cons are it's going to be a zoo because it's a 3 day weekend and all the drs are closed, and the usual stuff like waiting FOREVER all the coughing sickies, the general weird-ness when you get people together like that. Also, how does your insurance feel about er visits?

If you have a children's ER, I would rather go there. At least it will be kids

I don't go to the ER unless I'm going in an ambulance, or it simply can't wait until Monday (this case Tuesday) or.. for some reason, DH's surgeon was in love with sending him to the ER. I didn't get it, and frankly, it was poor service IMO. In my mind YOU (the Dr) cut open my husband, which caused him these issues now YOU need to take care of him. But that's neither here nor there


Yeast is sooo nasty. You have to go on full assault to get rid of it. I'm sure you've heard it all at this point, but diet changes were the only thing that cleared up DS. In me AND him (I was nursing) With the warmer weather, it's just going to get harder hugs.

[mekat]

The answer is personally yes and I have done so several times. For my son we have no alternative, He is too medically complicated; a walk in clinic won't take him. If I were in your situation I would find out if the local Children's hospital has an affiliated urgent care clinic. I really am not all too confident a doctor that see mostly adults will be able to help you. If you can't find a pediatric urgent care clinic then I would opt for the ER at the local children's hospital. You may need to start branching out with consultations to other doctors. I am not an expert on this stuff but you may want to ask for a possible referral for a pediatric dermatologist consult or a pediatric allergist/immunologist consult. If you have to go to the ER make sure you stay as far as possible from other patients even if they don't look sick and don't let your LO mouth ER objects or touch ER objects then touch her face or suck on her hand. I follow this rule religiously and most of the time even my immune compromised kid won't bring back a secondary illness from a stint in the ER.