All kids will get bumps and bruises and some will even get cuts and gashes. I get a lot of calls from parents unsure if they need to take their child to the ER for these wounds.
In general, you must get a wound closed within eight hours of the injury if stitches or glue are to be used. In other words, you often can't wait until the next morning when your doctor's office is open to make this decision.
Sometimes the need for stitches is
As a kid I remember the horror on my mom's face when she saw me put two pennies in my mouth to suck on. "Take those out of your mouth! You have no idea where they have been!" were her sage words. The panic in her voice worked its magic and I promptly spit them out. Little did she know that in addition to the gross possibilities of where they had been, had I swallowed them I could have been in trouble for other reasons.
In North America and
It's 2 p.m. on a Sunday and you know your child needs to be seen by a doctor. Your son has been up since 2 a.m. crying with a fever and sore throat and he has been exposed to strep at school. Of course your doctor's office isn't open on Sundays and you know there are urgent care clinics all over town, but aren't sure where to go. You know there is a clinic in the drug store near your house, another one just a couple of miles away that offers
