Which ER do you send your kids to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are at the point of going to an Emergency Room shouldn't you be going to whichever one is the closest? honest question, not being snarky.

It depends what the emergency is. Traumatic head injury? Don't go to the closest hospital. Flu or fever? Sure.

+1

A lot of urgent care facilities won't see kids under 18 months, so we once had to go to the ER for pink eye because DS got it on a Saturday.

Flu, pink eye and fever... I would not go to the ER, I would go to the minute clinic, or call my pediatrician or wait until Monday.

For a traumatic brain injury... Like a concussion there is nothing the ER can do, call the pediatrician and plan to go to Children's Hospital the following week. If there is a physical injury to the outside of the head that needs stitches,I would still just go to the nearest hospital.

The ER can diagnosis a concussion. And if there's blood going through the blood-brain barrier then you may need immediate intervention. Please don't tell people there's nothing that can be done about a concussion. A mild concussion, yes, only rest will relieve it, but what if it's more than a mild concussion?

Most concussions are mild. Don't clog the Er with a fever and a bump on the head.

Last time DS had a head injury we called the pediatrician who advised us to go to the ER because he was vomiting. So yes, I will follow his doctor's advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are at the point of going to an Emergency Room shouldn't you be going to whichever one is the closest? honest question, not being snarky.

It depends what the emergency is. Traumatic head injury? Don't go to the closest hospital. Flu or fever? Sure.

+1

A lot of urgent care facilities won't see kids under 18 months, so we once had to go to the ER for pink eye because DS got it on a Saturday.

Flu, pink eye and fever... I would not go to the ER, I would go to the minute clinic, or call my pediatrician or wait until Monday.

For a traumatic brain injury... Like a concussion there is nothing the ER can do, call the pediatrician and plan to go to Children's Hospital the following week. If there is a physical injury to the outside of the head that needs stitches,I would still just go to the nearest hospital.

The ER can diagnosis a concussion. And if there's blood going through the blood-brain barrier then you may need immediate intervention. Please don't tell people there's nothing that can be done about a concussion. A mild concussion, yes, only rest will relieve it, but what if it's more than a mild concussion?

Most concussions are mild. Don't clog the Er with a fever and a bump on the head.

Last time DS had a head injury we called the pediatrician who advised us to go to the ER because he was vomiting. So yes, I will follow his doctor's advice.

That is what I said, call your pediatrician .. Don't just go to the ER.

What did the ER do?

[Anonymous]

We called an ambulance once due to what we thought was a broken bone (18 months at the time). Our child could not go in his car seat. The ambulance took us to Children's even though there are much closer hospitals.

[Anonymous]

I've always heard its best to go to a pediatric ER if you can. Illnesses can present differently in children than adults, and skills like finding a vein or intubation can be a challenge to nurses and doctors used to working on adults or older kids.

[Anonymous]

We live in Falls Church and are physically closer to Virginia Hospital Center. That is where my child was born and where we personally have gone for medical emergencies, but we took my daughter to INOVA Fairfax Children's when she had to go to the ER. Her pediatrician is in Arlington near VHC but they've always told us to go to INOVA Fairfax if we have an emergency with her. They were fantastic, love the pediatric ER with small beds, toys, and someone who brings around stickers, balloons, and toys for the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most concussions are mild. Don't clog the Er with a fever and a bump on the head.

Last time DS had a head injury we called the pediatrician who advised us to go to the ER because he was vomiting. So yes, I will follow his doctor's advice.

That is what I said, call your pediatrician .. Don't just go to the ER.

What did the ER do?

Fortunately it was one of those injuries that look worse than they actually are. He had a laceration in his mouth that was causing him to choke on his blood. There was no concussion.

[Anonymous]

We live in DC and go to Children's. Very impressed with the nurses and docs we've seen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are at the point of going to an Emergency Room shouldn't you be going to whichever one is the closest? honest question, not being snarky.

It depends what the emergency is. Traumatic head injury? Don't go to the closest hospital. Flu or fever? Sure.

+1

A lot of urgent care facilities won't see kids under 18 months, so we once had to go to the ER for pink eye because DS got it on a Saturday.

Flu, pink eye and fever... I would not go to the ER, I would go to the minute clinic, or call my pediatrician or wait until Monday.

For a traumatic brain injury... Like a concussion there is nothing the ER can do, call the pediatrician and plan to go to Children's Hospital the following week. If there is a physical injury to the outside of the head that needs stitches,I would still just go to the nearest hospital.

Aak! This is not true. If the brain is swelling, emergency surgery to relieve the pressure can make a difference between life and death. Same if there is a skull fracture that is pushing into the brain. For a run of the mill concussion, sure, skip the ER. When our kid had a TBI and skull fracture and was not conscious for five hours, we went straight to the ER.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are at the point of going to an Emergency Room shouldn't you be going to whichever one is the closest? honest question, not being snarky.

It depends what the emergency is. Traumatic head injury? Don't go to the closest hospital. Flu or fever? Sure.

+1

A lot of urgent care facilities won't see kids under 18 months, so we once had to go to the ER for pink eye because DS got it on a Saturday.

Flu, pink eye and fever... I would not go to the ER, I would go to the minute clinic, or call my pediatrician or wait until Monday.

For a traumatic brain injury... Like a concussion there is nothing the ER can do, call the pediatrician and plan to go to Children's Hospital the following week. If there is a physical injury to the outside of the head that needs stitches,I would still just go to the nearest hospital.

The ER can diagnosis a concussion. And if there's blood going through the blood-brain barrier then you may need immediate intervention. Please don't tell people there's nothing that can be done about a concussion. A mild concussion, yes, only rest will relieve it, but what if it's more than a mild concussion?

Most concussions are mild. Don't clog the Er with a fever and a bump on the head.

You are bizarre. Who said anything about a mere bump on the head?

[Anonymous]

In my (fortunately limited) experience, it's worth it to go to a pediatric ER, if possible.

[Anonymous]

Georgetown
Sibley is actually closer but no pediatrician in ER
Have also been to Suburban as we were in that part of town and the lack of information was frustrating as they only allow the attending to talk to patients and he wasn't around for hours. At Georgetown, the residents, interns, students were all chatty and gave advice.

[Anonymous]

16 and 14 year olds and we've never needed an ER. All I know is for a trauma I would go to Suburban but for a broken bone I would go to Sibley for convenience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax. Separate children's ER that is fantastic.

+1

We live in arlington and I work at another hospital but go to Fairfax when needed.

[Anonymous]

We live in Capitol Hill and used Children's Hospital for our one ER experience.

[Anonymous]

We're a military family, and went to Ft Belvoir from Arlington when ds had an issue. They transferred him by ambulance to Inova Fairfax for the children's ER. For anything potentially serious, I'd go straight there in the future.