Pediatric acute illness

Even with the right preventive care, acute illnesses are common in young children. Pediatric acute illness is the onset of sickness in a child that has a discreet beginning and end. Typically, these illnesses last fewer than six months, but they can be frequent in children because their bodies are less immune to germs in our environment. The average child suffers from approximately 5 to 8 pediatric acute illnesses each year, but fortunately most of these sicknesses are mild, generally harmless and can be easily remedied with the right care and medication. Examples of pediatric acute illnesses include fevers, sore throats, vomiting, diarrhea, earaches and common colds.

There are a few signs that you should watch out for that may indicate that your child may need medical attention for a pediatric acute illness. They include:

• Inability to stay alert or aware of surroundings
• Poor fluid intake or retention
• Difficulty breathing
• Fever is not reducing
• Symptoms do not improve after 6-7 days

A large portion of our office visits are left available for same day scheduling of acute illnesses and injuries. Our triage nurse is available during regular business hours to assist families with such needs, whether it be providing advice and reassurance for continued home treatment or scheduling the next available same day appointment. For uncommon circumstances that our site is unable to accommodate, we refer families directly to the nearest, conveniently-located Rady’s Children’s Urgent Care. We always do our best to honor families’ requests for specific providers and times, but we are not always able to guarantee accommodations for urgent appointments due to fluctuations in day to day schedules.

For non-urgent health concerns, our helpful staff can assist in scheduling a future appointment with a requested provider or at a time and day that is convenient for the family.

Outside of regular business hours, families can access a healthcare provider through our automated call back system for urgent health concerns. With a healthcare provider on-call 24 hours a day to attend to urgent health concerns, support is never more than a phone call away. Our medical team has years of experience managing and coordinating care of children with complicated medical needs, so no question is too big or too small. Simply give us a ring if you are concerned about your child’s health and need attention immediately.