It’s summertime, and kids are getting into all sorts of trouble. More time spent outside playing sports, while obviously good for children, carries its risks. That’s why, during this time of year, it is essential to know where the nearest pediatric urgent care facility is to you.
Not all urgent care centers are alike. For example, some facilities do not offer fracture care. There are also some urgent care clinics that aren’t open seven days a week. About a third of walk-in clinics do not open before 9:00 am on weekdays. Take some time to research and find the pediatric urgent care center that is right for you, so there are no unpleasant surprises when the time comes.
According to the Urgent Care Association of America, urgent care facilities receive about 3 million patients per week. A good deal of these patients will be coming in with sports-related injuries, and many of them will be children – statistics show that each year, 12 million people between the ages of 5 and 22 suffer a sports-related injury. Any good urgent care practitioner will be trained to treat these kinds of injuries. Most quality urgent care centers offer treatment for a variety of conditions including (but of course not limited to):
- muscle strain
- dehydration
- insect bites
- joint pain
- athlete’s foot
- swimmer’s ear
- sprains
Urgent care clinics are almost always equipped with the ability to perform basic medical procedures, such as vaccines, x-rays and blood tests, so a visit to a pediatric urgent care center needn’t necessarily be a capital-E Emergency. Urgent care physicians will accommodate your child’s needs, whether it’s setting a bone or getting updated on shots.
While public opinion has gone back and forth on vaccines, this, at least, is something pediatric urgent cares are happy to offer. The recent measles outbreak at Disneyland in California is nothing if not proof that there are good reasons parents should consider opting in for vaccines, which are considered to be medically very low-risk.
Being familiar with your nearest pediatric urgent care center will bring you and your family peace of mind. Chances are, no matter what your location, you and your child are in good hands.
