As soon as their child has a stomach ache, parents immediately think of appendicitis. He has just had a fall, we wonder about the after-effects. With a little explorer at home, parents necessarily wonder one day or another about the relevance of going to the emergency room or not. With the prospect of waiting hours for nothing. "If some parents go there too much because they do not have the necessary information, it is true that others also arrive a little too late", notes" Toubib ", general practitioner, author of the page To be or not medic. He published the book" Urgences or not urgences "(ed. First), to help parents have the right reaction. With us, it reviews the most common symptoms, knowing that when in doubt, no doctor will blame you for coming in for nothing.
My child has a fever
I'm going to the emergency room if….
– Your child is less than 3 months old, there is a risk of life because bacterial infections are more frequent.
-If he has a "CCR" anomaly. Remember these three letters, which are valid in many situations:
– C for behavior.
Have you ever given him paracetamol and your child is amorphous? He no longer follows with his gaze, he seems very tired, he no longer interacts.
– C for coloring
His complexion is very pale, he has blue lips or ends.
– R for breathing
He's having trouble breathing. He pulls on his stomach, a hollow forms in his throat when he breathes.
Only one of these three warning signs should make you consult.
– He's had a fever for more than 5 days. This may require a blood and urine test. Knowing that after 2 days of fever, it is nevertheless recommended to consult your doctor.
The common mistake: We are often riveted on the number indicated by the thermometer. Now according to the doctor, "lThe fever figure does not reflect the severity of his conditionParents should be guided by their tolerance for fever.
It's covered in pimples
I'm going if …
– Take the glass test: press a transparent glass against the rash. If the color fades from red to white, it's definitely viral. If it stays bright red, head to the emergency room. It could be a serious illness like a fulminans purpura.
– The child also has difficulty breathing, swallowing or complains of stomach pain. It can be an allergic reaction, such as angioedema.
– If the skin peels off like wet paper. It could be drug eruption (severe skin allergy).
He vomits
I'm going if …
– He vomits everything given to him and takes nothing more, even water or oral rehydration solution. There is a risk of dehydration.
– He lost 10% of his weight.
Good to know : If he has 3 to 4 vomiting per day, and he manages to absorb liquid in portions, we can first consult his general practitioner.
He has a stomach ache
I'm going if …
-The pain is more and more strong and constant. In case of an attack of appendicitis, the child first begins to complain as from a point of side to the right of the belly. Then the pain gets stronger and stronger. The child always tries to lie down with his legs folded. Once the appendix becomes infected, the pain does not subside, but increases.
He complains of pain in the testicle
I go if….
– In the event of pain which occurs suddenly or during a shock and which does not pass after 30 minutes, it is necessary to go to the emergency room. The testicle can twist and no longer be irrigated, causing necrosis. This is why it is necessary to consult within 6 hours.
Good to know : It is better to avoid eating and drinking before going to the emergency room, in the event that an operation is necessary.
He fell or he suffered a shock
I go if
-The child is less than 1 year old and has suffered a cranial impact by falling from more than 90 cm in height. His skull is deformable, he must be seen quickly.
-He didn't cry immediately. This may be a sign that he has passed out. It is then necessary to consult.
-The child vomits several times. If he vomits immediately after the shock, it may be due to the shaking. But if he then vomits again, it is better to consult the emergency room.
– His behavior has changed. If he is small, is he drowsy? Do you have trouble waking him up? Does he interact less? It can be a sign of behavioral problems. If he is taller and his language is not very coherent, that also requires coming to the emergency room.
– Blood is flowing from his ear. It could be a perforated eardrum or a fractured skull.
Good to know : Depending on the age of the child, it is necessary to monitor his behavior and vomiting within 6 hours or even 24 hours.
He's bleeding from his nose
I'm going if …
– Ask your child to tilt his head. Pinch her nose twice for 5 minutes. If the bleeding does not stop after these two attempts, you can go to the emergency room.
– He has trouble breathing, his nose is deformed.
He cut himself
I'm going if …
– "The sign that should alert is the existence of two really identified edges of the skin ", explains the doctor. "It is then necessary to sew up. If in doubt, do not hesitate to consult, because if you wait until the next day, the skin has already started to heal and it is too late.".
He burned himself
I'm going if …
– The burn is extensive: it affects more than 5% of the body. To calculate the ratio, consider that the palm of a child's hand is 1% of their body.
– Blisters form
– It's a chemical or electrical burn. "The fabric burns lengthwise. At the beginning, it's just a point and then, it necrosis, that's why you must immediately consult", warns the specialist.
– The burn affects the face, goes around a limb or affects the genitals.
Good to know : If the burn is not too extensive, run it under lukewarm water, not cold because the skin is without thermal protection, there is a risk of hypothermia.
He ingested an object
I'm going if …
– In case of penetration syndrome. Your child is choking, he coughs, he turns blue, and after a pat on the back he breathes again. This may be a sign that the object has fallen into the bronchi, freeing one side of the lung. It is then necessary to do a fibroscopy.
– If it is a button battery. "It is an absolute poison which melts very quickly. If he has swallowed it or if it is stuck in the nose, it should be seen immediately.", explains the doctor.
To read: Urgences or not urgences, To be or not toubib, ed. First
Read also :
⋙ Baby fever: put an end to preconceived ideas
⋙ Appendicitis in children: 5 symptoms that should alert
⋙ Sprain, fever… When should you call the emergency room?