When to go: Emergency Room vs. Urgent Care
It’s the dilemma every parent faces at some point when their child needs medical care, but the doctor’s office is closed. Do you go to the Emergency Room (ER) or Urgent Care?
If your child has a life-threatening illness or injury, call 911. But not every situation is so clear-cut. If your child breaks a bone, has a high fever or an asthma attack, what should you do? We’ve put together this chart to help you determine where to take your child for immediate treatment.
Emergency Room | Urgent Care |
Asthma attack (severe) | Allergies |
Bleeding that won't stop | Asthma attack (minor) |
Broken bone (looks bent, curved or deformed) | Broken bone (not bent) |
Burn (severe) | Bronchiolitis |
Cast problems (soiled or wet) | Burn (minor) |
Cut (severe) | Cold or cough |
Fainting | Cut (minor) |
Fever (infant less than 2 months old) | Dehydration |
Head injury (loss of consciousness or extreme impact) | Diarrhea |
Headache (migraine) | Dizziness |
Pneumonia (diagnosed and with worsening symptoms) | Earache and ear infection |
Poisoning | Fever (children over 2 months old) |
Seizure | Headache |
Stomach pain (severe) | Head injury (no loss of consciousness, minor impact) |
Swallowed object | Insect or minor dog bite |
Trouble breathing | Nausea, vomiting |
Ultrasound, CT scan or MRI | Pink eye |
Rash | |
Sore throat | |
Sprain or strain | |
Stitches (from minor cut) | |
Stomach pain (mild) | |
Urinary infection |
Children’s Mercy Urgent Care “Save My Spot”
If you determine the best place to take your child is Urgent Care, you no longer have to sit in the waiting room. Children’s Mercy recently launched “Save My Spot” at its three Urgent Care locations throughout the Kansas City area.
The online check-in program allows patients to view current wait times and choose an arrival time that works for them. This allows sick or injured kids to stay at home while waiting.
Here’s how it works:
Families check for the current estimated wait time.
Select a convenient location or waiting time.
Reserve a check-in time.
Fill out a short form.
Receive text reminders when their check-in time is near.
Whether you take your child to Urgent Care or the ER, it's best to look for a health care system that is focused on pediatrics and is staffed by board-certified pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners.
Learn more about Children's Mercy Urgent Care locations, hours of operations and Save My Spot.
Learn more about Children's Mercy Emergency Room locations.
Bookmark Emergency Room vs. Urgent Care chart.