BC Children’s Hospital clarifies when emergency care is necessary, after 9 hour wait times
Posted November 11, 2022 5:48 pm.
Last Updated November 11, 2022 5:54 pm.
After seeing wait times of over nine hours this week, the BC Children’s Hospital is sharing information on when kids may need emergency care — and when they could be treated elsewhere.
Many Canadians are waiting for shipments of children’s Tylenol to arrive in emergency rooms and pharmacies, and one expert is saying some parents have struggled to find medication for their children, and this could be a factor of the long wait times.
Garth Meckler, the division head of pediatric emergency medicine at the hospital, says 50 per cent of people in the emergency room could have been treated by a family physician or primary care centre instead of in the emergency room.
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On Thursday, the hospital released a guideline for care givers with examples of what qualifies as an emergency.
“Emergency departments can be busy. Sometimes, to avoid unnecessary waits, your child’s illness could best be treated at a doctor’s office, a walk-in clinic or urgent primary-care centre,” the hospital said in a tweet.
However, the release notes that for serious mental health crises, like “if your child is thinking about ending their life,” people are asked to call 911 or 1-800-SUICIDE.
In a chart, the hospital compares some “emergency” and “not an emergency” scenarios.
Emergency departments can be busy. Sometimes, to avoid unnecessary waits, your child’s illness could best be treated at a doctor’s office, a walk-in clinic or urgent primary-care centre: https://t.co/H1vcN3NFqA pic.twitter.com/C2O1sIoL6x
— BC Children’s Hospital (@BCChildrensHosp) November 11, 2022
Meckler adds, “Our doors are always open and we are not trying to avoid any visits.” But he says the hospital has seen an influx of kids with respiratory illnesses, and stressed parents asking for medication to help relieve the pain.
“I’m very sympathetic,” Meckler said. “Most kids with fever are pretty miserable, which makes the whole family miserable, and as parents, it’s our job to worry about our kids.”
“But the important thing is to remember that fever itself is not dangerous. It’s a sign that your immune system is fighting infection, and kids tend to get higher fevers than adults.”
Meckler says although waiting can be frustrating, it often signals that the health condition is less severe. The hospital adds that although it is “committed to ensuring every child gets the care they need,” it explains the patients with the most urgents needs will be taken care of first.
“If you come in and it is something that isn’t life threatening, and somebody who comes in after…might be taken ahead of you. And that can be frustrating for families who have been waiting a long time,” he explained.
When your child is in pain, you want to do everything you can to help them. Use our pain care guide for parents/caregivers & find tips on managing pain & increasing comfort: https://t.co/cZPmTIIFiv #NPAW2022 #ItDoesntHaveToHurt pic.twitter.com/CIl3lb49cE
— BC Children’s Hospital (@BCChildrensHosp) November 12, 2022
But Meckler says not to underestimate care givers personal experience with the child, and to trust your instincts if you think the child needs emergency care.
“As pediatricians we have all learned through experience that parents intuition and knowledge of their own child is far better than any health care providers,” he said.
“Trust your gut, and if you are concerned and think that it’s an emergency, no one is going to criticize you for coming to emergency.”
He adds in some cases, the family doctors direct parents to the emergency room.
“We ask if families have seen their provider or have a provider, and while more than 90 per cent of our families can identify a family physician, the vast majority say they were unable to be seen or could only be seen virtually…you can’t look in somebody’s ear over the phone, or listen to their chest.”
He says when it comes to staying out of the hospital, vaccines could make a difference.
“Fortunately, it seems that this year’s influenza vaccine does actually target the strains that we’re seeing right now and COVID vaccination can definitely help.”
