When to see a primary care physician (PCP)
Children don’t come with an instruction manual, and they often can’t tell you what’s wrong. Should you call the doctor or nurse practitioner for a cough? Vomiting? Diarrhea? Fever? Most common issues aren’t emergencies, but sometimes these signs can point to something else. To help you understand when your child might need to see a primary care provider at Children’s Health℠, below are some tips.
If you review these tips and still have questions or concerns, give us a call. We’re here to walk you through at-home treatments or to make an appointment with your child’s doctor or nurse practitioner, or just to ease your mind that what you’re going through is normal.
Fever
Fevers aren’t bad – they are the body’s way of fighting off infection. Generally, a low fever is less than 102 degrees. A moderate fever is 102 to 104 degrees, and a high fever is 104 degrees and higher. Fevers aren’t dangerous unless they reach over 106 degrees. We recommend calling your child’s doctor or nurse practitioner under the following conditions:
The fever doesn’t come down within an hour after giving your child a fever-reducing medicine, like acetaminophen.
The fever responds to medication but returns when the medication wears off and lasts for several days.
In babies younger than 3 months, any temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher.
A fever higher than 104 degrees in a child of any age.
You may also want to call your doctor or nurse practitioner if the fever is accompanied by:
Signs of dehydration – no tears when a child cries or a lack of urination
A rash that lasts longer than three days
Weakness or extreme fatigue
Stomach ache
Intestinal issues, usually caused by a virus, are a common cause of vomiting, diarrhea and even cough and cold symptoms. We recommend calling the doctor or nurse practitioner if your child has a stomachache combined with any of the following symptoms:
Blood in the stool or vomit
Abdominal pain in one spot
A fever for more than three days
Diarrhea and lack of urination
Constipation, vomiting or a swollen stomach along with a fever
Yellowing of the skin or eyes and dark urine
Pain in the middle or lower back and painful urination
Dehydration, diarrhea and vomiting
Vomiting and diarrhea, especially in children, can easily lead to dehydration. Always call the doctor or nurse practitioner if you think your child is dehydrated. Signs of dehydration:
Dry mouth
Sleepiness
Thirst
Decreased urine output
No wet diapers for three hours in babies
Few or no tears when crying
Dry skin
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Unusually irritable
Diarrhea can lead to dehydration and is considered severe under the following conditions:
Lasts more than 10 days
More than eight stools a day
Stool has blood or mucus
Is accompanied by a fever of more than 102 degrees
Vomiting is common in childhood, but call the doctor under the following conditions:
Lasts more than 24 hours
A baby vomits more than 8 times
An older child vomits more than 10 times
Seems unusually severe
Severe stomachache
Coughs, colds and problems
Coughs that come with a cold clear mucus from the airways. There is no cure for the common cold, and cough and cold medicines are not recommended for babies and young children. For newborns, a common cold can quickly lead to croup, pneumonia or other serious illness. Call the doctor or nurse practitioner under the following conditions:
Constant cough
Noisy breathing
Painful coughing
Coughing that causes vomiting
Symptoms keep a child up at night
Symptoms last more than two weeks
Problems with breathing
Fever lasting more than three days
Signs of dehydration
Fever
Ear pain or unusual irritability
Baby refuses to nurse or drink fluids
Rashes
Also known as dermatitis – are a rite of passage for childhood. Infections, irritations and wet diapers can all lead to rashes. Here’s when to call the doctor or nurse practitioner:
A child is bothered by a rash
A child acts sick
Does not improve within three days
The rash looks like a bruise or does not lighten in color when you press on it
It is accompanied by a fever
After hours resources
