Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

As a spinoff to Janice's post about seizures, I thought maybe the BTDT moms who have dealt with some scary/stressful situations medically with their kids could share some tips/advice/info here on one thread for us to read & bookmark. Can't hurt to hear from those who've gone through things. For example, I remember reading tips about when baby has to be in the hospital, etc, but don't remember exactly what the advice was, so this would help!

Thanks!

Message edited 3/30/2008 9:42:49 PM.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

That would b awesome!!!!!!!

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

Great post!

I know if it wasn't for a post about allergic reactions the other day, i would have never known that i should have benedryl in the house

Message edited 3/30/2008 9:44:58 PM.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

bump for the morning crew

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

Great post - you are always thinking!

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

I found reading other people's advice very helpful for when we had out trip to the ER and stayed in the Ped ICU.

1. Stonybrook and Good Sam are the only Suffolk hospitals with pediatric care units. The doctors office originally wanted to have us go to St. Catherine's cause it was closest and be transferred to Stonybrook. We did not want to go through all that with a sick baby and neither did the EMTs, so they took us right to Good Sam. If you get picked up by an ambulance and have the time to make it to your hospital of choice, ask the EMTs to take you to one of the above.

2. Nurses in the ER are not good at taking blood from and infant and getting an IV in! I'm sorry to all the nurses on here, but after reading other stories and the 5 horrific times they stuck DS and all the screaming, ask for someone from pediatrics to come and give the IV. I asked and they refused me, but I know I read where other people asked and were accomodated. After we were admitted to the ICU and they had to take more blood, the ped nurses were able to get him 1st time everytime and it was over and done with before knew it. If they had only come down to the ER, it would have taken less than 5min and saved everyone pain and stress.

ETA I had the wronf hospital name up there before and I fixed it. Winthrop and North Shore are Hospitals in Nassua with pediatric units.

Message edited 3/31/2008 10:08:31 AM.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

Grace was in the hospital for dehydration at 9 months. I had no idea that I had to force her to drink pedialyte to avoid a hospital stay. When they are under a year old, there is a mandatory stay of 72 hours for dehydration. I was shocked.

Anyway, if your child has a fever or virus and is NOT eating and drinking, try the pedialyte teaspoon by teaspoon. Also use a syringe (the kind they have to administer meds) and give them pedialyte, water, juice, etc. in the syringe. TRUST ME, you DO NOT want your kid in the hospital for dehydration. It was an awful experience. I mean the nurses and doctor were nice, but Grace was so uncomfortable and they had to but the IV in her foot and tape it. Poor thing could not move her leg. After that experience, now I know to try with all that I have to get her to drink something. I did try before she was admitted, but with a teaspoon and bottle only. She kept vomiting and I kept trying but she refused to drink.

I wish someone would have told me about using the syringe b/c she was just sick with coxsakie and I had to use the syringe to get fluids into her and it worked! Do not think "they will drink eventually" a child can get dehydrated very quickly. Grace saw the doctor at 6PM and by 8AM the next day, she was admitted for dehydration.

I HTH everyone

ETA: When the ped told me she was being admitted, I started crying. The ped told me that I had to stay calm b/c Grace would see me getting upset and feed off of my energy.

Message edited 3/31/2008 9:42:04 AM.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

Great tips already ladies!!

I specifically remember someone (maybe Charly?) saying to ask for someone from pediatrics to do the IV/draw blood too, I wouldn't have known to do that w/o this site!

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

Immediately call poison control if your kid eats ANYTHING suspect, including toothpaste If you call your pediatrician first, they'll just tell you to call poison control.

Like someone else said, STAY calm. If you freak, cry, panic, your DD will as well. They don't know to be afraid, so don't give them a reason to be!

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

My emergency situation tips:

- Have the diaper bag ready at all time and PACIFIER

- Have your medical card (including your DC's child name on it) in your wallet

- Bring DC's favorite toy

- Bring small bills ($1) in case you want a snack at a vending machine. You can stay in the ER for hours

- Specific experience with Winthrop: They have their own pediatric ER section.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

We've had 2 4-day stays in the hospital with Ryan unfortunately before his 2nd birthday, so I can add a few things to this list.

When they were trying to insert a catheter the last time around, he resisted so much that they just couldn't get it in. They ended up collecting a sample by taping a bag around him which filled up when he pee'd, and it went under his diaper. This was SO MUCH BETTER than having to put in a catheter, I recommend everyone ask if this is an option for your DC situation. (Might be trickier for girls...) I was livid this wasn't their FIRST resort...

Make sure you ASK for Tylenol/Benadryl/Motrin throughout the baby's stay if you feel they need it. They wont just come in every 4 hours on the dot. They often ran late during shift changes, or just forgot.

Other emergency situation tips:
Make sure your cell is always charged
Diaper bag is stocked
Whoever is watching DC has your insurance card

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

If possible, have your child admitted to the hospital from your ped's office. When DD had RSV, my ped called the hospital, let them know we were coming and basically checked us in. It was much easier than going to the ER.

If you are going to be overnight with your child in the hospital, pack a blanket for yourself as well as DC. Our hospital was so cold- luckily I had her big blanket in her carseat.

Lastly, trust your instincts as a mom. I initally brought my DD in to see someone other than her ped who was off that day. She told me it was simple cold- I knew it was much worse than that.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

Bump as spinoff to Rachel's post

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

I haven't been in an emergency situation, thank goodness, but I keep an emergency sheet on the refrigerator. It has all the information including address, cross street, house telephone #, kid's pertinent information. It's good to have it listed and handy for you and any caregivers.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

For babysitters, leave insurance card info (which does not have a ss#), an estimated weight of my child, all contact info.

None of this applies to a newborn. If you have a newborn with a fever, you must call your pediatrician immediately.

For croup (which sounds like a seal bark), you need cold air immediately to reduce the swelling in the lungs. That means the cool night air or standing by a freezer with the baby in a blanket. A cool mist humidifier is a MUST for the winter. In a pinch you can run a hot shower & keep the baby in near the shower but you really do need cold.

If your baby is refusing bottles, drooling like crazy & running a high fever, it's likely cox sackie. Give them any kind of fluid they'll drink (cold pediatlyte?) to keep them hydrated.

They may also refuse bottles, swat/tug on their ear for ear infections.

I'm sure I'll think of more later.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

ALWAYS keep Benedryl in the house. DD had a very severe reaction the first time we gave her yogurt and we had NONE in the house.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

1) If your child should take a serious fall, like down the stairs like my DS did....DO NOT MOVE THEM and call an ambulance even if they seem fine. This was advice given to me after a EMT friend of mine heard and scooped him up and drove him to the ER bc he seemed fine. He said, GOD FORBID he had injured his neck I should not have moved him and to have called an ambulance bc again, GOD FORBID, he had any internal head injuries he wsant showing signs of yet, if something were to happen as a result en route the hospital, the EMTs would be equipped to handle the situation whereas I would have been helpless driving DS to the hospital with him in his carseat.

2) If you are in Suffolk and you child ever breaks a bone, take them to Stony Brook. They are better equipped to diagnose and deal with toddler breaks. Whereas St Catherines was not, and missed two breaks in DS leg and sent us home to put ice on it. Plus, SB has a pediatric orthopedic staff in house that can see DC for followup, but they ONLY see you if you were treated in the SB ER.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

a catheterized specimen is always better...more accurate than a bagged one. it is done under "sterile" conditions and is the best way to rule out infection. the bagged one can often come back positive for bacteria when it was really just a harmful bacteria on the skin causing it to be positive. that is why they tried the catheter first.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

Not exactly an emergency per se, but I have used PM pediatrics in Seaford. They are nothing short of FANTASTIC and open all night in cases of non dire emergent cases. Ex: I brought Anthony there on a Sat night when he wasnt breathing too well with a bad cold and his feet looked blue. Easier, quicker and more convient (and cheaper ) than an ER visit

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

Honestly, one of the very first things someone told me is to have the name of a good plastic surgeon who specializes in pediatrics on hand. I know of many kids who have unfortunate accidents that could leave scarring and are forced to use the surgeon on call or in the ER whom they would not choose.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

I found out today the people at poison control are very nice and extremely helpful.

I called the ped first and as a PP said he told me to call them.

FYI- If your DC sprays themselves in the face with Febreeze air freshner, immedialtely wipe them off with a wet towel and then wash them from head to toe.

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

Re: Spinoff: Important Tips (Must Know) from BTDT moms in emergencies/important situations

Posted by 1stimemom

Not exactly an emergency per se, but I have used PM pediatrics in Seaford. They are nothing short of FANTASTIC and open all night in cases of non dire emergent cases. Ex: I brought Anthony there on a Sat night when he wasnt breathing too well with a bad cold and his feet looked blue. Easier, quicker and more convient (and cheaper ) than an ER visit