Illness and injuries do not run on office hours and can happen at any time of the day or night, which can be difficult to manage after regular office hours. There are other options for care when your regular doctor’s office is closed, or if you need faster care, then they can offer. Having a sick child and not knowing where to go for treatment can be scary, but it helps to know the options for getting medical attention after hours near you and keep their information for when you need it. Most hospitals are open 24 hours a day, and places like Australia have the best Instant Consult after hours doctor Brisbane has to offer the locals. Options like this make it easier to get the after hours medical attention you might desperately need.
Walk-In Clinics and Medicenters
If your child is showing signs of illness that can be treated at home with medication such as antibiotics, or it is not an emergency, a walk-in doctor’s office or a medicenter may be the right fit. They are often open earlier in the morning and later into the evenings than a regular doctor’s office is. Often able to offer additional services such as stitches and even cast removal. In addition, the doctors can diagnose and offer treatments for sprains, minor infections, and many other concerns on site, write prescriptions, and offer guidance in how to provide care.
Urgent Care Clinics
An urgent care clinic is set up to offer care for children and adults who require fast care and cannot wait for regular doctor’s hours. These can be stronger infections, fevers that are not going down, food poisoning, and other concerns that need attention in a time-sensitive manner but that do not require an emergency room. Many are able to provide more care than a walk-in clinic may be able to provide, along with stitches and cast care and more.
Emergency Rooms and Hospitals
Emergency rooms in hospitals are ready and open all the time and will help in the worst cases. Able to provide all necessary care they are there for when you have nowhere else, or something life-threatening has occurred. For care that is required beyond a fast solution, they can admit your child to the hospital, and many will allow a parent to stay with them.
Choosing the Right Care for Your Child
When a child becomes ill or has been injured, it can become stressful very quickly, and it can be confusing to know where to go for treatment outside of regular office hours. It is helpful to find the local medicenter, walk-in clinic, urgent care, and emergency room to prepare for these unexpected moments and keep their information stored near your phone or in a cell phone. The poison control number is also a useful tool for help with guidance for any situations in which something has been consumed that shouldn’t, and if you have a nurse’s line in your area or for your insurance provider, they can offer guidance for minor issues over the phone and guide you where to go for treatment.