When can I schedule a sick child visit?
If you’re ever in doubt about whether your child needs a sick visit, call our office. The friendly nurse asks a few questions to determine the severity of your child’s symptoms, then helps you decide if you need to come into the office.
You can schedule same-day sick visits any time the office is open. See our Hours and Locations.
We offer online scheduling through our portal for your convenience for routine sick and standard well visits. Please do not use these spots for mental health concerns, as those visits typically are much longer than standard sick visits. Call the office so we can find the best fit for anticipated long visits.
What happens during a sick child visit?
The goal of a sick child visit is to quickly diagnose the problem and start treatment that will help your child feel more comfortable.
In addition to reviewing your child’s symptoms and medical history, a physical exam to assess the symptoms will be done.
Sick visit may require laboratory tests or imaging for identification of the source of symptoms. We can do rapid tests for Strep, flu A & B, urinalysis and COVID19 in our office.
We can collect samples for Strep throat cultures, some PCR tests, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and urine cultures to send to laboratories. We can order further tests from local labs and radiology facilities as needed.
What children’s conditions can a sick visit treat?
Sick visits treat many types of injuries and illnesses that need same-day or next-day medical care. Children’s symptoms can change quickly, so don’t hesitate to call if your child’s symptoms get worse.
The following are some of the most common conditions treated during sick visits:
- Flu Upper respiratory infections
- Earaches Headaches
- Sore throat or strep throat
- Congestion
- Coughs
- Abdominal pain
- Asthma
- Rashes or hives
- Allergic reactions
- Eye discharge or infection
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
We also treats minor injuries like concussions without persistent vomiting or altered level of consciousness, cuts and sprains.
When does my child need immediate medical care?
Your child should be evaluated by a medical professional for the following symptoms:
- Fever of 100.4ºF or higher in children younger than 2 months of age - this is an emergency: do not wait until office hours
- Daily fever of 100.4ºF or higher that persists for 3-5 days (the younger the child or the more concerning the symptoms, sooner; older children who are overall well appearing can wait 5 days)
- Unusual symptoms or any symptoms that concern caregivers
- Difficulty breathing should be seen immediately unless home treatment improves sufficiently to wait until business hours
- Signs of dehydration (no tears, dry in mouth, decreased urine output or too much urine with other signs of dehydration) should be seen immediately
- Persistent pain may require emergent treatment, depending on severity and other symptoms
- Rash that you can't identify or know how to treat may require emergent treatment, depending on severity and other symptoms
- Fever with a rash, stiff neck, vomiting, and headache is an emergency and should be seen immediately
- Suspected bacterial infection, such as Strep throat (fever, sore throat, headache, nausea, vomiting , sandpaper rash in a child over 3 years - not all symptoms must be present) or urinary tract infection (painful urination, foul smelling urine, fever, vomiting - not all symptoms must be present): most of these can wait until business hours unless there are significant symptoms that are concerning
When your child is sick, call the office as early in the day as possible so they can schedule a same-day visit if necessary or come to our Urgent Care/Walk In hours.
If you have questions about your child’s symptoms or you need to schedule a sick visit, call our office or book an appointment online.
What is appropriate for walk in visits (urgent care)?
We have a full page about our Urgent Care (walk in) availabilities. Learn more here.
Walk in visits work well for acute injuries and illnesses. They are not appropriate for mental health concerns, routine well visits or chronic disease management.
Schedule an appointment with the provider your child most often sees for ongoing conditions such as chronic pain, asthma, and constipation. Your usual provider who knows the story should see chronic concerns. Of course, if there is an exacerbation or sudden worsening of symptoms, acute management can be done at our urgent care with follow up by appointment and ongoing management with your primary care provider.
