CHOC advises parents to follow their parental instincts. Your child should be taken to the ED if they are experiencing any of the following:

• Rapid and fast breathing
• Head trauma
• Trauma with loss of consciousness or vomiting
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Severe abdominal pain
• Dehydration.
• An infant less than 28 days old has a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher.

CHOC's emergency department treats a variety of ailments, big and small, from broken bones to small abrasions to headaches. No matter is too small, and no patient is turned away. Whether or not the child needs treatment, parents will leave the ED at CHOC with reassurance and education.

Read more: Where should I take my child for care based on their symptoms?

For any parent, the notion of rushing a child to an emergency department in an ambulance is terrifying. In a critical situation, parents want to get their child help as soon as possible at the closest emergency facility possible.

But should the right circumstances occur, parents can request which emergency department the ambulance will visit. Emergency transport teams will honor the request to the best of their ability.

If the child is suffering from critical illness or injury that requires absolute immediate attention, the medic team will take the child to the closest emergency department or trauma center.

CHOC does not require approval from a patient’s health care provider to offer care at the emergency department. However, families should consult with their insurance provider for more specific information regarding emergency care and coverage specifics.

The emergency department at CHOC is designed for fast triage, quick diagnosis and speedy treatment to streamline each visit, but it is difficult to estimate how long a visit will take. Many things factor into the length of an emergency room visit, including the type and severity of the child’s ailment, as well as the other patients visiting the ED that day.

Patients are generally seen in the order of their arrival, but children with serious illnesses or injuries may be seen first. In this case, you might notice patients who arrived after you being called ahead of you. Also, the ED physician who is treating your patient might be interrupted to respond to a sudden, critical emergency.

Please remain patient and calm during your visit. Know that the comfort of you and the child are a top concern for all of our ED staff at CHOC, and they are working hard to provide quality, efficient care to all patients they are privileged to serve.

“Triage” describes the process wherein a nurse assesses your child’s condition to determine what type of care he or she will need – and how quickly. Triage occurs after screening and initial registration. If there are rooms open, the child will be immediately taken to an exam room.

If all rooms are full, the emergency department has triage rooms, where a nurse will ask questions, collect vital information such as temperature, pulse and weight, and perform a basic exam.

Yes. There’s no need to worry about being away from your child at CHOC.

At CHOC, we are committed to making the entire family part of all decisions and treatments provided whenever possible. We even provide larger-than-average exam rooms in order to accommodate family members, siblings and strollers.

It is important to know, however, that there may be times that only parents will be allowed with the patient due to the urgency of care needs or in the case of certain tests, like X-rays. In general, parents should use good judgment when bringing siblings to the emergency department. Parents are encouraged to make childcare arrangements for smaller children and infants, especially during the flu season. A visit can be a long process, and small children might grow inpatient.

It is also important for parents to be able to focus on their ill child, as they will be given a lot of information and will be asked many questions by our staff.

Learn more about what you should bring to the emergency room.