Pediatric Urgent Care vs. ER

When to go to pediatric urgent care vs. the emergency room

How do you know when to go to pediatric urgent care vs. the emergency room? Click Here for a PDF list of symptoms & conditions.

These are some of the most common symptoms in children that require immediate medical care. Look for your child’s symptoms (or something similar) to determine which type of medical care they require. Pres Ctrl + F to search for a specific symptom.

If the situation is too urgent to read through this list, please consider taking your child to the nearest ER. If you have questions, please call our office at (865) 541-8379. Please note that we cannot give medical advice of any kind via the internet or phone.

Reasons to go to pediatric urgent care

1. Fever (if older than 2 months)
2. Ear pain
3. Abdominal pain
4. Headache
5. Rash
6. Mild wheezing
7. Persistent cough
8. Cuts or minor burn
9. Suspected sprain or fracture
10. Vomiting or diarrhea
11. Sore throat
12. Infected bug bite
13. Minor animal bite
14. Mild allergic reaction
15. Urinary infection

Reasons to take your child to the emergency room

1. Severe difficulty breathing
2. Change in mental status: unusually sleepy or difficult to wake, disoriented, or confused
3. Excessive bleeding
4. Stiff neck and fever
5. Continuous rapid heartbeat
6. Ingestion of poisonous substance
7. Ingestion of excessive medication
8. Severe head injury
9. Medical device malfunction
10. Infant (less than 2 months) with fever
11. Severe dental trauma
12. Penetrating eye trauma
13. Neonatal jaundice

For directions to Children’s Hospital Urgent Care, visit our Location page.