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He bangs his head and has a gigantic welt, but he's not dizzy or throwing up; should he go or not? She twisted her ankle on the jungle gym and it's swollen, black and blue, and she can't put pressure on it - go or give it a day? This preventative guide will help parents know in advance when it's an emergency, when a doctor should be consulted, and when to treat at home with a good dose of "suck it up kid." At a time when ERs have become waiting rooms for the uninsured, a vast wasteland of confused or new parents, and a breeding ground for chaos and sickness, knowing when to go and when to hold off benefits everyone.
List of contents
1: To Go or Not to Go: The Parents' Dilemma
2: What Should You Do?
3: Fever
4: Coughs, Sneezes, Sore Throats, and Ear Aches
5: Breathing Troubles
6: Digestive and Abdominal Problems
7: Bumps and Conks on the Head
8: Sprains, Dislocations, and Broken Bones
9: Cuts, Lacerations, and Other Skin Injuries
10: Rashes
11: Overdoses, Poisonings, and Bites
12: Headaches, Convulsions, and Altered Mental States
13: Allergic Reactions
14: Other Miscellaneous Conditions
15: A Parent's Guide to How Emergency Departments Work
Suggestions for Further Reading
About the author
Christopher M. Johnson, MD, has been practicing pediatrics and talking to the parents of sick and injured children for thirty years. During much of his career, he was director of the Pediatric Critical Care Service at the Mayo Clinic and professor of pediatrics at Mayo Medical School, as well as director of the pediatric intensive care unit at Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital. He is the author of Your Critically Ill Child: Life and Death Choices Parents Must Face, How to Talk to Your Child's Doctor: A Handbook for Parents, and How Your Child Heals (Rowman & Littlefield).
He writes a regular column on children's health issues for PTA Magazine.
