Pediatrician, Urgent Care or ER: How to Decide When to Go Where

Hope and Will: A Parenting Podcast from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

It’s the Murphy’s Law of parenting: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong outside of normal business hours. When your child has an injury or illness, it’s easy to go straight to panic mode. Can it wait until your pediatrician is available, or is it time to head to an urgent care center or a hospital’s emergency department?

Dr. Mark Griffiths, a pediatric emergency medicine physician, and Monique Keeton-Perkins, a clinical educator with more than 10 years of experience as an urgent care nurse, join Lynn for an insightful chat that could save you precious time—and help you keep your cool—when deciding where to go. Together, they weigh in on common questions like, "When does a fever warrant a trip to the ER?," "How do I know when a respiratory illness needs medical attention?" and "Can urgent care treat a kid who swallowed a battery?”

With expert insight into what it’s like on the other side of those waiting room doors, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

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Created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
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This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgments when making recommendations for their patients. Patients in need of medical or behavioral advice should consult their family healthcare providers. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Product mentions are not endorsements.