Why do people take their kids to the ER for a fever?

[Murphy101]

I do think a lot of it is insurance related, actually.

 

I know when we have gone through periods of not having medical insurance (because employers didn't provide it or we couldn't afford the cost), it was difficult to even find a doctor willing to see us. We were asked over the phone about our insurance before we were allowed to make appointments, and most practices refused to see us at all if we were uninsured.

 

My brother-in-law found the same thing. He had a variety of chronic health problems and could not afford to maintain a regular relationship with a doctor. When he got too sick to function, he'd go to the ER. They'd patch him up enough to make him mobile and transfer him to the county hospital. He'd rack up bills there was no way he'd ever be able to pay, but it was the only way he'd be seen at all.

 

For folks living without insurance, an ER is often the only place to get care, because they have to treat people who show up there.

 

But that isn't what the OP was referencing. No one is questioning that.

 

The question was why are people seeking medical treatment for something that a does not usually need medical treatment and b. why are they seeking it at an ER?

 

Obviously if a person can't function and has been going without medical care for something that does in fact need treating, then they are not who we are talking about.

 

I completely understand what you are referencing and have been there and done that myself in the past. It just doesn't explain why a typically progressing common cold is showing up in an ER.

[melissad2]

I think I must be jaded because we have a really good pediatrician who has a triage nurse. They have limited office hours on weekends for things that can't wait until Monday. I've had them call me in ear drops for swimmers ear, Zantac for reflux, diflucan for thrush, different antibiotic when the first caused a reaction etc etc. I'm fortunate to have a dr who wants his patients to avoid the ER at all costs! We also have a kids urgent care that is open late and on weekends but thankfully I have not had to use it.

 

I once called the on-call dr on Christmas Day because my 2yo had a horrible stomach virus and she called me in some zofran to control the vomiting so he wouldn't get dehydrated. Gave me awesome advice over the phone on what to do if he didn't get better and told me to call her back if he didn't improve. Incidentally Christmas Day is the ONLY day of the year my pediatricians office is closed.

[melissad2]

But that isn't what the OP was referencing. No one is questioning that.

 

The question was why are people seeking medical treatment for something that a does not usually need medical treatment and b. why are they seeking it at an ER?

 

Obviously if a person can't function and has been going without medical care for something that does in fact need treating, then they are not who we are talking about.

 

I completely understand what you are referencing and have been there and done that myself in the past. It just doesn't explain why a typically progressing common cold is showing up in an ER.

 

:iagree:

[Jean in Newcastle]

I think I must be jaded because we have a really good pediatrician who has a triage nurse. They have limited office hours on weekends for things that can't wait until Monday. I've had them call me in ear drops for swimmers ear, Zantac for reflux, diflucan for thrush, different antibiotic when the first caused a reaction etc etc. I'm fortunate to have a dr who wants his patients to avoid the ER at all costs! We also have a kids urgent care that is open late and on weekends but thankfully I have not had to use it.

 

I once called the on-call dr on Christmas Day because my 2yo had a horrible stomach virus and she called me in some zofran to control the vomiting so he wouldn't get dehydrated. Gave me awesome advice over the phone on what to do if he didn't get better and told me to call her back if he didn't improve. Incidentally Christmas Day is the ONLY day of the year my pediatricians office is closed.

 

This has been my experience. So, yes, in this area I wonder when I see people taking their kids to the doctor for sniffles - not high fevers, not obvious infections etc.

[2_girls_mommy]

Not a newborn (because that is a good reason to go to the ER) but normal children without other health issues? I know someone who posts on fb every so often about taking her child to the ER with fevers in the 102-103 range. :confused: I'm a nurse and I would never take my kid to the ER for a fever like that...in fact my general rule is you must have uncontrolled bleeding, broken bones, need stitches etc to warrant a trip to the ER!

 

Well, I have taken a dd in for a fever because our pediatrician sent us once. She decided that dd had had the fever too long (it was about day 5 at that point) and she had seen her once already during the week, and it was after hours.

 

The E.R. kept us waiting forever, feeling like you do, and weren't going to see us until our ped finally called and said she sent her in. Then they realized she was already on antibiotics for the infection she had and there wasn't anything else they could do. Until the ped called again. She had them put dd on an I.V. because she has a history of getting dehydrated, especially with illness. And what do you know? The fever went away and stayed away. She was dehydrated and when she starts down that road, sometimes an I.V. is the only way for her. It has been this way with this particular child since she was an infant. Nobody can really explain why, but we know what to do.

[Parrothead]

Wow, that is terrible! Robbery in my opinion.

When we were in MT my friend's son was 18 months old. He got a wheel from a little race car stuck up his nose. The boy, his mom and I (I drove) were on the hospital property 4 minutes, and she was charged over $1000.

 

It was a small town. They had to turn the lights on in the ER. Doc came in, held one side of the kid's nose and told him to blow. The wheel popped out and the boy was released.

[curlgirl]

My son and nephew have febrile seizures. (seizures brought on by fevers). My nephew seizes at 100 degrees. If motrin and tylenol do not get them to come down we have to go to the ER to control the fever or risk brain damage. Our small towns do not have stand alone urgent care centers. we have an ER/ walk in clinic in the same building. They assess you and send you to whichever they think can better serve you. we really have no choice but to go. Also our regular clinic is so overbooked that you cannot get a same day appt. You have to go to the walk in clinic which is the same waiting room as the ER

[melissad2]

My son and nephew have febrile seizures. (seizures brought on by fevers). My nephew seizes at 100 degrees. If motrin and tylenol do not get them to come down we have to go to the ER to control the fever or risk brain damage. Our small towns do not have stand alone urgent care centers. we have an ER/ walk in clinic in the same building. They assess you and send you to whichever they think can better serve you. we really have no choice but to go. Also our regular clinic is so overbooked that you cannot get a same day appt. You have to go to the walk in clinic which is the same waiting room as the ER

 

I thought febrile seizures were not harmful? Scary? Absolutely!

[melissad2]

When we were in MT my friend's son was 18 months old. He got a wheel from a little race car stuck up his nose. The boy, his mom and I (I drove) were on the hospital property 4 minutes, and she was charged over $1000.

 

It was a small town. They had to turn the lights on in the ER. Doc came in, held one side of the kid's nose and told him to blow. The wheel popped out and the boy was released.

 

:svengo:

I have a kid who likes to put things up his nose. Thankfully, I have been able to retrieve everything thus far.

[stripe]

I don't think that's a sign of being uncaring or ignorant as much as yet another sign of how anti family work standards suck.

And there are employers who don't care if you or your kid was sick, you get in trouble at work and don't get paid for that day. Period. Even with a note. No one wants to see a note.

 

Family friendly, my foot.

[Twilight Woods]

I wish hospitals were a little more stern abt vetting. If they should be at a fam doc, send them on their way.

 

EMTALA prevents this.

[FaithManor]

I

Need a note to miss work the next day.

Need a note to miss school the next day.

 

 

 

There is a lot of this in our area. The school has a zero tolerance policy on absences. So, having a fever or any other obvious signs of illness is not an excuse for a child to stay home. Not.even.throwing.up. If the parent does not present a doctor's note with 24 hrs. of the absence (we live in a rural area where there aren't enough doctors to handle the patient load so a normal wait time to see the doc unless you are showing signs of imminent demise is 3-4 days), the child is sentenced to detention for each day missed. If you keep them home two days and on day three they finally see the doctor and get a note, they still have detention for day one and two because the note wasn't presented within 24 hrs. of the start of the school day missed. It is the most anti-child, anti-family policy you can imagine.

 

Oh, and get this.. they have deemed the parent not medically qualified to determine if the child is sick or faking and actually called parents "unqualified to make health decisions regarding your child" in PRINT! Apparently children are really good at faking fevers of 103...I don't know if they imagine kids holding matches to thermometers or plunging them in hot water or what! But, you are going to love this, IF the child arrives at school and the teacher deems the child is sick, then they will call and you can take your child home, NO DETENTION! So, apparently that magic certificate called a "teaching license" makes the teacher a "medical expert". :tongue_smilie: Boggles the imagination. As a result, most of the time, our local classrooms are filled with sick, contagious, puking, strep-throat ridden, tonsilitis infected, flu laden students all sharing bathrooms, school supplies, and drinking fountains! I told the superintendent one time that he was running a plague ward! He was not amused. Idiot!!!!!

 

So what parents do is take their kids to the ER when they get up in the morning because A. the doctors' offices aren't open yet and won't open before the start of school and B. aren't likely to have an opening that day anyway and C. doctors won't give notes until they've examined the child because of their liability which means the parent doesn't have a prayer of getting a note before 8 a.m. the next day anyway much less in hand and delivered to the school, so D. clog up the ER, paying big bucks to do so because the urgent care doesn't open until 10:00 a.m. though they do stay open until 10:00 p.m.....but, the urgent care is reluctant to give doctor's notes anyway because they take a LOT of irate calls from the local superintendent of stupidity, ahem...I mean school district!

 

Now, the people who really infuriate my dd, the paramedic, are the people who call for transport because "I stubbed my toe." Oh yes! People do that and because of state law that EMS cannot choose to disregard, they are required to attend and required to transport if that is what the patient desires. NPD's LOVE attention so they call for ambulance transportation all.the.time.for.truly.stupid.things. Including (I am not making this up), calling 911 because someone is having a "heart attack" at a Burger King, but when the crew arrived, no one was needing treatment, she just wanted "someone in uniform" to chew out the manager for taking so long to make her cheeseburger! :glare: However, this type of antic is what gets an NPD person arrested, as was the case here. PD was only too happy to come take her off the hands of the medics. :smash: These are the rare moments when one begins to think "caning" is a not a half bad criminal justice plan! But, I digress. :D

 

 

Faith

[Twilight Woods]

Ditto. The 16 hours I spent working in triage this weekend confirm my theory that at least 80% of people in an ER waiting room at any given time do not need to be there.

 

:iagree:

 

I agree... bring you child in with a high fever not responding to meds or other signifigant problems... but if your kids has had a runny nose and mild fever for 2 weeks it's NOT an emergency... the guy walking in with SOB and chest pains is...... my favorite from this weekend was the child sprayed by a skunk......... other then stinkin gup the entire place there was nothing to be done :glare:

[PeacefulChaos]

It might be their insurance. My kids' plan doesn't cover an urgent care only the ER or ped for routine visits.

 

Yep, this.

 

Granted, I still don't understand going in for a fever (with some exceptions, obviously - baby, very high for a prolonged period, particularly the latter). We usually don't even visit the doctor for a fever.

But I'm sort of hands off when it comes to that stuff, as far as seeking medical treatment for every last thing.

[Abigail4476]

Maybe parents panic? I don't know.... I'm sure there are myriad factors that contribute to people dashing to the ER all the time.

 

We have urgent care centers here, so an ER visit is reserved for broken bones, gaping/gushing wounds or life-threatening symptoms.

 

However, I guess if a person couldn't reach their pediatrician and they didn't have access to a clinic or urgent care center, I can understand someone going to the ER. More often than not, I would attribute it to a paranoid or panicking parent. There are children with underlying health issues, and a fever/cold/sniffles can easily turn into something more serious. Having a child with asthma, I can understand panicking because mild illnesses are major with him. In fairness, it's impossible to know just by looking at people in the ER waiting room what is going on with their kids. I have experienced sitting in a busy Urgent Care waiting room with a lethargic, wheezing child with pneumonia and have to wait 2 hours in line behind people who certainly don't *seem* all that sick. As frustrating as that is, I don't think it's fair to pass too much judgment, because you can't know for sure.

[Nestof3]

And there are employers who don't care if you or your kid was sick, you get in trouble at work and don't get paid for that day. Period. Even with a note. No one wants to see a note.

 

Family friendly, my foot.

 

Letting someone off for the day for sickness is one thing, but I don't see the employer as being responsible for paying the person for not being there. I wonder if we could charge our customers for mowing their lawn but not show up?

 

I know the many times our former employee couldn't come in -- court hearings for his felony charges, calling in sick, going to prenatal visits with his girlfriend, etc. led to my husband working until dark and weekends to cover. We certainly didn't pay the guy.

[Nestof3]

Yep, this.

 

Granted, I still don't understand going in for a fever (with some exceptions, obviously - baby, very high for a prolonged period, particularly the latter). We usually don't even visit the doctor for a fever.

But I'm sort of hands off when it comes to that stuff, as far as seeking medical treatment for every last thing.

 

Very odd. What provider do you have?

[KidsHappen]

Not a newborn (because that is a good reason to go to the ER) but normal children without other health issues? I know someone who posts on fb every so often about taking her child to the ER with fevers in the 102-103 range. :confused: I'm a nurse and I would never take my kid to the ER for a fever like that...in fact my general rule is you must have uncontrolled bleeding, broken bones, need stitches etc to warrant a trip to the ER!

 

Generally, I tend to agree with you but my dd who just had the rare tumor removed didn't have any of those signs just non specific abdomninal pains. I never would have taken her to the dr. much less the ER. Just goes to show that even experienced mothers like myself make mistakes. I think a lot of it is first time parents and just has to do with inexperience. You live and hopefully learn to stay as far away from ER as you can. (This may be due to the inordinate amount on time I have spent in ERs and hospitals the last three months.) YMMV.

Edited September 24, 2012 by KidsHappen

[Nestof3]

Thank you for giving me one more reason for being happy my kids are not a part of such an idiotic system.

 

We have volunteer rescue squad here, but we took our son to the closest hospital when he jumped out a tree and hit his head. They wanted the children's hospital radiologist to look at the scan, so they transported him to that hospital (cost us $400). We got there, went through the entire checkup again only to find out the radiologist was at home. They sent him digital images -- to his home. Gee, they could have done that from the other hospital.

 

No thought is given to the convenience or cost of patients.

 

There is a lot of this in our area. The school has a zero tolerance policy on absences. So, having a fever or any other obvious signs of illness is not an excuse for a child to stay home. Not.even.throwing.up. If the parent does not present a doctor's note with 24 hrs. of the absence (we live in a rural area where there aren't enough doctors to handle the patient load so a normal wait time to see the doc unless you are showing signs of imminent demise is 3-4 days), the child is sentenced to detention for each day missed. If you keep them home two days and on day three they finally see the doctor and get a note, they still have detention for day one and two because the note wasn't presented within 24 hrs. of the start of the school day missed. It is the most anti-child, anti-family policy you can imagine.

 

Oh, and get this.. they have deemed the parent not medically qualified to determine if the child is sick or faking and actually called parents "unqualified to make health decisions regarding your child" in PRINT! Apparently children are really good at faking fevers of 103...I don't know if they imagine kids holding matches to thermometers or plunging them in hot water or what! But, you are going to love this, IF the child arrives at school and the teacher deems the child is sick, then they will call and you can take your child home, NO DETENTION! So, apparently that magic certificate called a "teaching license" makes the teacher a "medical expert". :tongue_smilie: Boggles the imagination. As a result, most of the time, our local classrooms are filled with sick, contagious, puking, strep-throat ridden, tonsilitis infected, flu laden students all sharing bathrooms, school supplies, and drinking fountains! I told the superintendent one time that he was running a plague ward! He was not amused. Idiot!!!!!

 

So what parents do is take their kids to the ER when they get up in the morning because A. the doctors' offices aren't open yet and won't open before the start of school and B. aren't likely to have an opening that day anyway and C. doctors won't give notes until they've examined the child because of their liability which means the parent doesn't have a prayer of getting a note before 8 a.m. the next day anyway much less in hand and delivered to the school, so D. clog up the ER, paying big bucks to do so because the urgent care doesn't open until 10:00 a.m. though they do stay open until 10:00 p.m.....but, the urgent care is reluctant to give doctor's notes anyway because they take a LOT of irate calls from the local superintendent of stupidity, ahem...I mean school district!

 

Now, the people who really infuriate my dd, the paramedic, are the people who call for transport because "I stubbed my toe." Oh yes! People do that and because of state law that EMS cannot choose to disregard, they are required to attend and required to transport if that is what the patient desires. NPD's LOVE attention so they call for ambulance transportation all.the.time.for.truly.stupid.things. Including (I am not making this up), calling 911 because someone is having a "heart attack" at a Burger King, but when the crew arrived, no one was needing treatment, she just wanted "someone in uniform" to chew out the manager for taking so long to make her cheeseburger! :glare: However, this type of antic is what gets an NPD person arrested, as was the case here. PD was only too happy to come take her off the hands of the medics. :smash: These are the rare moments when one begins to think "caning" is a not a half bad criminal justice plan! But, I digress. :D

 

 

Faith

[FaithManor]

Letting someone off for the day for sickness is one thing, but I don't see the employer as being responsible for paying the person for not being there. I wonder if we could charge our customers for mowing their lawn but not show up?

 

I know the many times our former employee couldn't come in -- court hearings for his felony charges, calling in sick, going to prenatal visits with his girlfriend, etc. led to my husband working until dark and weekends to cover. We certainly didn't pay the guy.

 

 

I agree. The employer is under no obligation to pay an employee for not working if that employee is not under a contract that allows them to earn paid time off.

 

I think that the bigger issue in our area is that with the high unemployment rate, there is a dirth of people looking for work which has made some employers (certainly not a high percentage...but Walmart, several of the gas stations, and some of the restaurants come to mind because the complaints against them are horrendous) very heavy handed. I know people who will be fired if they are sick or their child is sick. End. of. job. no mercy. I know one guy who was fired because his dad had a heart attack and he left work to meet the ambulance at the E.R. He was a contract employee...no benefits. He left work for three hrs. and returned to a pink slip and "clean out your desk". Legally, for hourly employees without benefits, it's perfectly legal. I question the morality of not caring enough about another human being to let them miss three hours of work because their parent had a heart attack, but the legal issue doesn't apply.

 

Of course, if the economy ever recovers and there are jobs to be had, I know that Walmart and a few others will be hard pressed to keep good employees because they will be exiting in droves for better bosses.

 

Slightly off topic, and yet, if one has a strict employer and can only narrowly miss becoming unemployed by getting a Dr's note ASAP, another reason why ER's are populated with people who don't need the ER per se.

 

Faith

[Nestof3]

Just horrible. I agree, and we try to be understanding employers. It is hard, though, because this guy was repeatedly late and always needing to stop early to go somewhere. The reason my husband hires someone is so he can make a living and not work until dark every day of the week.

 

I do hate seeing heartless employers, and I hate seeing the same in employees. I had a friend who took maternity leave knowing full well she would not be returning to work. She quit the day after her maternity leave expired. I wish everyone aimed to do what's right.

 

I agree. The employer is under no obligation to pay an employee for not working if that employee is not under a contract that allows them to earn paid time off.

 

I think that the bigger issue in our area is that with the high unemployment rate, there is a dirth of people looking for work which has made some employers (certainly not a high percentage...but Walmart, several of the gas stations, and some of the restaurants come to mind because the complaints against them are horrendous) very heavy handed. I know people who will be fired if they are sick or their child is sick. End. of. job. no mercy. I know one guy who was fired because his dad had a heart attack and he left work to meet the ambulance at the E.R. He was a contract employee...no benefits. He left work for three hrs. and returned to a pink slip and "clean out your desk". Legally, for hourly employees without benefits, it's perfectly legal. I question the morality of not caring enough about another human being to let them miss three hours of work because their parent had a heart attack, but the legal issue doesn't apply.

 

Of course, if the economy ever recovers and there are jobs to be had, I know that Walmart and a few others will be hard pressed to keep good employees because they will be exiting in droves for better bosses.

 

Slightly off topic, and yet, if one has a strict employer and can only narrowly miss becoming unemployed by getting a Dr's note ASAP, another reason why ER's are populated with people who don't need the ER per se.

 

Faith

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

In my area there are Prompt Care/Urgent care facilities people will often go to instead of an ER. Most people I know who go to ER for things like a fever don't have insurance and can't afford a doctor. The ER has to see them by law.

 

You can extend this to a debate about health insurance, but regardless many can't afford it but don't qualify for Public Aid. The ER is their only viable medical option if they need to see a doctor.

[Parrothead]

 

No thought is given to the convenience or cost of patients.

:iagree: I"m still ticked about last month's visit. Dh had to drive 2.5 hours (cost of gas) to be told by the doctor (office visit) that nothing showed up on the MRI.:glare:

 

Do these people not know what a telephone is?

[FaithManor]

Just horrible. I agree, and we try to be understanding employers. It is hard, though, because this guy was repeatedly late and always needing to stop early to go somewhere. The reason my husband hires someone is so he can make a living and not work until dark every day of the week.

 

I do hate seeing heartless employers, and I hate seeing the same in employees. I had a friend who took maternity leave knowing full well she would not be returning to work. She quit the day after her maternity leave expired. I wish everyone aimed to do what's right.

 

 

You are in good company with me. My dad owns a business and just had to let an employee go. The guy has gone through a divorce and has joint custody, one week on, one week off. He was demanding not to come to work on the weeks he had his kids, but yet get paid and accrue paid vacation. :001_huh: I am serious. This dude expected to be given 52 weeks of pay for working only 26 weeks and wanted all of the National Holidays as paid vacation as well. NUTS! Apparently, he thinks that money grows on a tree out in the parking lot.

 

Needless to say, he is now unemployed. Dad did not like having to let him go, but the business has to survive or all the other employees are out of jobs too.

 

Crazy stuff! It amazes me what goes through some people's heads!

 

Faith

[Lisbeth]

My dd4 has been admitted through the ER 25+ times. We have struggled to get front desk staff to take us seriously because they see so many people who shouldn't be there that they have a hard time making the right call. We have sat next to kids with runny noses while our daughter was heading toward a coma and organ failure. I'm not mad at those people, either the staff or the parents, but it does make my heart drop when we rush into a full ER.

 

:grouphug: I would be mad st them. Toleration has its place, but peoe could be put in serious situations by crowded ERs because people feel the need to clog it up for cold symptoms. So frustrating.

[Parrothead]

That amounts to gold digging IMO.

 

My husband was scheduled for a follow up for a physical. Never heard of that, but ok. So he goes there and was told tests are all fine. Ok. So then they proceed to schedule another appointment. For what?! DH looked for a new doctor.

I have one similar I'm just getting the bills for now. :glare:

[Nestof3]

:iagree: I"m still ticked about last month's visit. Dh had to drive 2.5 hours (cost of gas) to be told by the doctor (office visit) that nothing showed up on the MRI.:glare:

 

Do these people not know what a telephone is?

 

Ridiculous! I swear it's a way to make money. My endocrinologist is the same way. I see her every three months following blood work for TSH. I pay $140 for 10 minutes of her time and pay $40 for the lab work. She checks my thyroid area when I swallow, asks me how I feel, and tweaks my meds.

 

She really annoyed me by scheduling a celiac panel after I had told her I went gluten-free for a while. My chart shows my mom has celiac, and I even noted that I had been tested recently. She thinks gluten-free is rather hokey and wanted to prove that there was no reason for me to be GF. I of course was billed quite a bit for a retest. She didn't even tell me she was ordering a panel.

 

One time, I had to reschedule my appt because of family stuff. Her earliest appt was a month away. She refused to give me my results over the phone even though I had this requested an appt because my cycle was way off again and I was tired. I was perfectly fine still seeing her at her next appt, but she could have increased my meds (something we have been tweaking since I started seeing her) or at least told me my numbers were still good so I could look into what else may be causing it.

[boscopup]

One problem my sister ran into when visiting here was that kids under 2 aren't seen by urgent cares around here, and GPs won't see you if you're not a regular patient. So if you're traveling with a child under 2 who has an ear infection (as my sister was doing), you have to go to the ER... for an ear infection. :glare: They didn't want to go there, but they couldn't get into any other place during the day on a weekday, with perfectly good private insurance.

 

I also ran into a similar issue when DS2 cut the back of his knee open. I'm usually a "You're not bleeding" type of parent, so it takes a LOT for me to go to the doctor and especially the ER, but this cut... it was obvious it definitely needed stitches. So I got everyone in the car and went to urgent care, since they were open. Walked in, showed them the cut, and they said, "Yep, that needs stitches, but we can't handle a child that young." :confused: He was almost 2 years old. They can't do stitches on a 2 year old. :tongue_smilie:So we had to go to the Pediatric ER, where they gave him a little gas and did the stitches. The urgent care had been saying they'd need one of those boards to strap the kid to for the procedure! Pediatric ER didn't have to strap him to anything. Phew!

 

Thankfully, that's our only ER visit so far (knock on wood). I have dealt with 104 fevers (Roseola). I've taken a child to the regular ped when he kept getting very high fevers and falling asleep... He actually fell asleep while the ped was talking to me because his fever spiked at that moment, illustrating my point. :lol: Turned out he had pneumonia. Otherwise, I usually don't take a kid to the ped for a fever unless it's been more than a few days and it's clear that there is probably a bacterial infection involved (strep, ear infection, etc.). My peds and GP have all given me information on when they'd like to see my kids if they're sick. A 101 degree fever one day and a cough doesn't make the cut. ;) If we've had a cold for 2-3 weeks and it still isn't going away, my doc wants to see us because it's probably no longer just a cold.

[Harriet Vane]

I bring my kids in for a fever of 104 or higher that will not come down with meds. I have had to do so twice. Once my dd was actually having seizures from the fever and dehydration. The other time both kids had been battling high fevers for days. When dd's hit 105, that was it. It was time to go to the hospital.

 

Lower than that is not an emergency, though.

[TranquilMind]

Not a newborn (because that is a good reason to go to the ER) but normal children without other health issues? I know someone who posts on fb every so often about taking her child to the ER with fevers in the 102-103 range. :confused: I'm a nurse and I would never take my kid to the ER for a fever like that...in fact my general rule is you must have uncontrolled bleeding, broken bones, need stitches etc to warrant a trip to the ER!

 

Right. The ER is serious, as in broken bones, blown organs, or imminent death, to me.

[Murphy101]

:iagree: I"m still ticked about last month's visit. Dh had to drive 2.5 hours (cost of gas) to be told by the doctor (office visit) that nothing showed up on the MRI.:glare:

 

Do these people not know what a telephone is?

 

 

Yes they do know what a phone is, but there is not an insurance billing code for that. Drs could literally spend all day every day on the phone or email answering basic questions, ordering script adjustments and giving results - but all those hours on the phone are not billable per insurance codes. On,y an office visit is billable. So you have an office visit bc drs like having income same as you do.

[LMA]

Yes they do know what a phone is, but there is not an insurance billing code for that. Drs could literally spend all day every day on the phone or email answering basic questions, ordering script adjustments and giving results - but all those hours on the phone are not billable per insurance codes. On,y an office visit is billable. So you have an office visit bc drs like having income same as you do.

 

Some say the HIPAA laws say you can't give results over the phone. We're seeing more of that. Even if you give permission. Doctors say they can't verify who is on the other end.

[Murphy101]

Some say the HIPAA laws say you can't give results over the phone. We're seeing more of that. Even if you give permission. Doctors say they can't verify who is on the other end.

 

Which I respond is total BS because they have no problem asking me what I'm coming in for over the phone, calling to tell me I need a follow up for x over the phone and many other situations where they take or give my private info over the phone.

 

For that matter, I think those sign in sheets should be against HIPPA. Name, number, insurance for everyone who walks in the door to see.

[Crimson Wife]

I had a friend who took maternity leave knowing full well she would not be returning to work. She quit the day after her maternity leave expired. I wish everyone aimed to do what's right.

 

I went out on maternity leave with #2 knowing that I probably wouldn't be coming back at the end of it. DH had a job offer in New York and unless he could find a job in Boston before my 4 mos. were up, I knew that I was going to have to resign. However, I wasn't about to resign before I was legally obligated to because of the chance that DH would find a local job. I didn't want to be in the position of quitting in November only to have to beg for my job back some time before March.

 

We were genuinely hoping to stay in Boston because my family lives there, but it didn't work out that way. I had to go in 2 weeks before my maternity leave was up to give my 2 weeks' notice. If I had really been selfish, I could've come back in March when my leave was up and quit in July when we moved away from Boston.

[Nestof3]

Yes they do know what a phone is, but there is not an insurance billing code for that. Drs could literally spend all day every day on the phone or email answering basic questions, ordering script adjustments and giving results - but all those hours on the phone are not billable per insurance codes. On,y an office visit is billable. So you have an office visit bc drs like having income same as you do.

 

My general physician charges for copies of paperwork. It could easily be handled in this manner. I just think charging $100 is ridiculous just to get a result from an appt you already paid for.

 

I don't have to go to my obgyn for pap smear results. They are mailed to me. My FIL got his test results over the phone.

[Nestof3]

I went out on maternity leave with #2 knowing that I probably wouldn't be coming back at the end of it. DH had a job offer in New York and unless he could find a job in Boston before my 4 mos. were up, I knew that I was going to have to resign. However, I wasn't about to resign before I was legally obligated to because of the chance that DH would find a local job. I didn't want to be in the position of quitting in November only to have to beg for my job back some time before March.

 

We were genuinely hoping to stay in Boston because my family lives there, but it didn't work out that way. I had to go in 2 weeks before my maternity leave was up to give my 2 weeks' notice. If I had really been selfish, I could've come back in March when my leave was up and quit in July when we moved away from Boston.

 

This is completely different than what I described. She absolutely knew she wasn't going back to work.

[Murphy101]

I don't have a problem with coming back only to pay back the maternity insurance. If they had another option for health care and finance to be resolved, then it would likely be a moot issue. But they didn't. So they came in and did what was required of them and then quit. *shrugs*

[Scarlett]

I don't have a problem with coming back only to pay back the maternity insurance. If they had another option for health care and finance to be resolved, then it would likely be a moot issue. But they didn't. So they came in and did what was required of them and then quit. *shrugs*

 

It is what I did. And there were people who were angry about it.

[Murphy101]

It is what I did. And there were people who were angry about it.

 

Oh well. Boo hoo for them. They have a job and they aren't paying your bills or watching your baby.

[jennynd]

I took my maternity leave knowing I am going to quit in 2 weeks after returning. I accepted another offer from another company and my boss fully aware and fine with it and we are still good friends.

Face it, u won't hesitate to terminate somebody if ur company going through a difficult time. There are company policy agreed by both parties. The company policy is I entitle maternity leave with pay, I need to turn in resignation letter 2 weeks prior, and I did. There is nothing I did broke the company policy, I do not feel I did anything wrong.

I did work there for 6 yrs

Edited September 25, 2012 by jennynd

[Serenade]

:iagree:

my favorite from this weekend was the child sprayed by a skunk......... other then stinkin gup the entire place there was nothing to be done :glare:

 

ROFL!! Too funny.

[PeacefulChaos]

Very odd. What provider do you have?

Insurance provider? DH and I don't have any, the kids are on state insurance, unfortunately. :( Which does pay for the ER, but they're always so busy and such a pain that we've never had reason to go to one yet for one of them (thank goodness!) I did take Astro to the after-hours clinic once, and got a bill for it -- I called the insurance company and I think it's all straightened out now. But she was like, 'Well, why didn't you just take him to the ER?' I was like, 'Because it wasn't an emergency....?????' :lol: But it was Friday night. Gotta love Friday nights. :D (Our pediatrician's office is now open on Saturday mornings though! Woohoo! :D ) I did ask the lady on the phone, though - 'So you're telling me that the thousand dollars it would have been for an ER visit is covered, when the $200 for the after hours clinic isn't?' She agreed that it didn't make much sense, but later did say that in the future I can go to the after hours clinic if necessary.... I just have to call them first. :rolleyes:

In my area there are Prompt Care/Urgent care facilities people will often go to instead of an ER. Most people I know who go to ER for things like a fever don't have insurance and can't afford a doctor. The ER has to see them by law.

 

You can extend this to a debate about health insurance, but regardless many can't afford it but don't qualify for Public Aid. The ER is their only viable medical option if they need to see a doctor.

 

I did go to the ER twice this year for myself. Once when I fell down the stairs and hit my head (mild concussion and MAN it was awful, that and the whole general run over by a football team feeling. Ugh) and the second time with a kidney stone that I could tell was blocking.

The visit for the stone wasn't bad, and I was much worse off in that instance (which makes me VERY glad it was a pleasant visit, not having to wait forever and such). It was also in another state. I went to the ER because I needed fluids and something for the pain. They had to give me more painkillers than I've ever had before (aside from my c-sections :p ).

My visit for the stairs was awful. The waiting room was PACKED! There were people behind me who were well versed in the best ERs in the city. They were considering leaving to go to ___ instead, and were calling around to find out all the wait times. :001_huh: I think it's an unfortunate system where it's easier for everyone to go to the ER, kwim?

I don't judge people because of it. I just wish there was a way to fix it.

 

 

OH! And on the funny ambulance stories -- DH is on the volunteer rescue squad (only one we have) and they have gone to pick up someone and found them waiting for them, standing in the front yard. Then they'll get out of the ambulance themselves and walk themselves into the ER. :lol:

[Bluegoat]

I think that people just don't really know much about how to deal with fever.

 

I remember visiting with friends who have a big family, and the mom was treating one of the kids with Tylanol for a really really minor fever, and the child was acting perfectly normal. I thought it was odd.

 

I grew up in a medical household, and we didn't even own a thermometer. My stepdad, who is a GP, has told me it isn't really all that helpful. You can detect a fever by touch and after that behavior and symptoms are more important. People who get hung up on the exact temperature can miss a more serious problem or, more often, get worried about something that is not serious.

[Bluegoat]

I don't have a problem with coming back only to pay back the maternity insurance. If they had another option for health care and finance to be resolved, then it would likely be a moot issue. But they didn't. So they came in and did what was required of them and then quit. *shrugs*

 

If you have a system where medical insurance is bound to employment, that sort of thing is bound to happen.

[WishboneDawn]

I think that people just don't really know much about how to deal with fever.

 

I remember visiting with friends who have a big family, and the mom was treating one of the kids with Tylanol for a really really minor fever, and the child was acting perfectly normal. I thought it was odd.

 

I grew up in a medical household, and we didn't even own a thermometer. My stepdad, who is a GP, has told me it isn't really all that helpful. You can detect a fever by touch and after that behavior and symptoms are more important. People who get hung up on the exact temperature can miss a more serious problem or, more often, get worried about something that is not serious.

 

:iagree:

 

We bought a digital thermometer after Lauchie was born. It's still in it's packaging. The one time he had a fever I knew it the moment I crawled into bed with him.

 

Regardless, I'm not going to get too worked up over people who visit ERs over things I'd think were minor. I once took my brother in for what turned out to be a bug bite. The doctor telling the story later might roll his eyes and talk about the guy who came in because a mosquito got him but what he didn't know was that a couple of month prior to that he'd battled a serious and painful infection in his leg that was caused by a tiny splinter. He'd thought it minor and not paid attention to it and paid a big price. After that he was hyper-vigilent for a bit and when he saw the irritated bug bite he got scared.

 

Heck, I was in the ER this weekend after Lauchie swallowed something. First time ever for one of my kids. I felt a little silly taking him in for that (811 - a public service here that you can call and speak to a public health nurse - had advised me to take him in) and was convinced I was just wasting time and would see whatever it was he swallowed (I knew it hadn't been anything dangerous) in his diaper the next day. Turns out he had a penny lodged in his esophagus.

 

Sometimes you don't know the back story, sometimes the minor issue could turn out to be fairly important to address.

[jennynd]

:iagree:

 

 

Sometimes you don't know the back story, sometimes the minor issue could turn out to be fairly important to address.

 

:iagree:

And u will wonder why the mom didn't bring the kid to the emergency room. Can't win :D

[LibraryLover]

I think that people just don't really know much about how to deal with fever.

 

I remember visiting with friends who have a big family, and the mom was treating one of the kids with Tylanol for a really really minor fever, and the child was acting perfectly normal.

 

 

Perhaps the child was acting normal because she gave him the Tylenol.

 

I've had times when I wanted to die, but two Tylenol in the AM and then again in the afternoon, was all I needed to be highly functional.

 

Not that crawling into bed feeling like you are going to die isn't better. We probably all need more time in bed.

 

Yet. Somtimes one has children to care for, and work to attend.

 

Sometimes even children need a little relief. I'm not one to medicate at the 'drop of a dime', but some meds (herbal or not) can help a child feel less miserable.

Edited September 25, 2012 by LibraryLover

[Jenny in Florida]

But that isn't what the OP was referencing. No one is questioning that.

 

The question was why are people seeking medical treatment for something that a does not usually need medical treatment and b. why are they seeking it at an ER?

 

Obviously if a person can't function and has been going without medical care for something that does in fact need treating, then they are not who we are talking about.

 

I completely understand what you are referencing and have been there and done that myself in the past. It just doesn't explain why a typically progressing common cold is showing up in an ER.

 

I was thinking of parents who are worried about a child. Maybe the kid has been running a fever for a week, and they haven't had any luck bringing it down with normal approaches. If they had insurance, they could call the pediatrician. But they don't. So, a worried parent who feels like she has no other option to get her kid seen, maybe get an antibiotic prescribed, goes to the ER to make that happen.

 

As others have said, we don't usually have the luxury of knowing every other person's back story before making a judgement.

[Murphy101]

Perhaps the child was acting normal because she gave him the Tylenol.

 

I've had times when I wanted to die, but two Tylenol in the AM and then again in the afternoon, was all I needed to be highly functional.

 

Not that crawling into bed feeling like you are going to die isn't better. We probably all need more time in bed.

 

Yet. Somtimes one has children to care for, and work to attend.

 

Sometimes even children need a little relief. I'm not one to medicate at the 'drop of a dime', but some meds (herbal or not) can help a child feel less miserable.

 

I'm of the medicate rest for kids and caffeine for parents POV.

 

Not once has Tylenol ever done diddly for me. Or percocet. I wish I was you!

 

As others have said, we don't usually have the luxury of knowing every other person's back story before making a judgement.

 

Not judging. Just think it's odd.:)

[Bluegoat]

I'm of the medicate rest for kids and caffeine for parents POV.

 

Not once has Tylenol ever done diddly for me. Or percocet. I wish I was you!

 

:)

 

I sometimes wish for the days when they sold people laudanum to keep sick children quiet.

 

 

 

 

Not that I'd drug my kids that way, but it would help me get some sleep.:D