Is It Urgent or an Emergency? When to Visit Pediatric Urgent Care vs. the ER 

As a parent, few things can be more stressful than seeing your child sick or injured—and trying to decide where to take them for care. Should you head straight to the emergency room? Can it wait for the pediatrician? Or is pediatric urgent care the right middle ground? 

Knowing the difference between what’s urgent and what’s an emergency can save you time, reduce stress, and ensure your child gets the right care in the right place. 

Let’s break it down. 
 

🚑 Emergency Room: When Every Second Counts 

Emergency rooms (ERs) are designed to handle life-threatening conditions. If your child is experiencing a true medical emergency, the ER is the right place to go—no question. 

Take your child to the ER if they experience: 

• Severe difficulty breathing or shortness of breath 

• Loss of consciousness or unresponsiveness 

• Seizures without a known history of epilepsy 

• Head trauma with vomiting, confusion, or loss of consciousness 

• Suspected broken bone with visible deformity or bone protrusion 

• Sudden vision loss or slurred speech 

• Suicidal thoughts or self-harming behavior 

The ER is equipped with specialized teams and equipment to handle these emergencies 24/7—but the trade-off is often long wait times for non-life-threatening cases, as well as high financial costs. 

🩺 Pediatric Urgent Care: Fast, Focused, and Kid-Friendly 

Pediatric urgent care bridges the gap between your child’s primary care provider and the emergency room. It’s ideal for illnesses and injuries that require prompt, expert attention but aren’t necessarily life-threatening. 

Visit pediatric urgent care for: 

• Fever  

• Cough, cold, sore throat, or ear pain 

• Cuts (including those that require sutures or glue), scrapes, or burns 

• Joint pain and possible fractures (yes, we can do X-rays!) 

• Rashes, bug bites, or allergic reactions 

• Vomiting and diarrhea  

• Pink eye, styes, corneal abrasions, or other eye irritation 

• Asthma symptoms or wheezing 

• Croup-like symptoms (barky cough, loud breathing) 

• Minor head injuries (no loss of consciousness or vomiting) 

At PM Pediatric Urgent Care, we’re staffed with providers who specialize in caring for children—babies through young adults—and our environment is designed to help kids feel safe and supported. That makes a big difference when your child isn’t feeling well.  Our goal is to provide similar capabilities to the ER, without the cost, time, and scary environment. 

💡 Why Parents Choose Pediatric Urgent Care 

Here are a few reasons more families are turning to pediatric urgent care as their first stop for non-emergency care: 

• Shorter wait times than most ERs 

• Lower costs compared to emergency care 

• Kid-friendly care with pediatric-trained providers 

• Convenient hours including evenings and weekends 

• Faster answers to what’s going on with your child 

We know your time is valuable—and so is your peace of mind. 

👶 What About Babies? 

For infants under 2 months, a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher should be evaluated in the emergency room, as it could indicate a serious infection. For babies over 2 months, many common illnesses can be treated safely in pediatric urgent care, including ear infections, congestion, and mild gastrointestinal symptoms. 
 

Example Scenarios and Where to Seek Care 

 
❓ Still Not Sure? Call First. 

If you’re ever unsure whether urgent care or the ER is the best place, give us a call. Our team is happy to guide you based on your child’s symptoms. In the event your child does visit us and requires a higher level of care, our teams can help connect you to the emergency room to make the transfer smooth for your family. In the end, it’s always better to ask than to guess—especially when it comes to your child’s health.