When to visit the ER for fever

Mild fever is generally easy to treat at home with rest, fluids and over-the-counter medicine. However, sometimes fever is an indicator of a more serious infection. If your child has a fever, it is best to call your pediatrician first before heading to the ER. However, if your pediatrician is unavailable, see below to help determine whether you need to seek emergency care for yourself or your child.

If your child is under 90 days old, seek emergency care if he or she has a temperature over 100.4 degrees, or if your child's fever is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Vomiting
• Rash
• Difficulty breathing
• Nonstop crying or inconsolable
• Difficulty waking up to feed

If your child is 90 days to 36 months old, seek emergency care if he or she has a temperature over 102 degrees for two or more days, or if the fever is accompanied by any of the following symptoms:

• Does not look well
• Cannot keep fluids down
• Burning during urination or does not urinate
• Rash
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Stiff neck
• Abdominal pain

If your baby is less than 3 months old, visit the ER if his or her temperature is above 100.4 degrees. You should also seek emergency care if your baby's fever is accompanied by these symptoms:

• Difficulty waking up to be fed
• Difficulty breathing
• Rash
• Vomiting
• Inconsolable or non-stop crying

For babies and toddlers between the age of 3 months and 3 years, visit the pediatric ER if the child's temperature is above 102.2 degrees, or if the child is displaying these symptoms:

• Difficulty waking up
• Not urinating
• Unable to keep fluids down
• Inconsolable
• Not up to date on immunizations
• Difficulty breathing
• Rash

If your child is 3 or older, visit the pediatric ER if the child's temperature is over 102 degrees for two or more days. You should also seek emergency care if the fever is accompanied by any of these symptoms:

• Abdominal pain
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Unable to keep fluids down
• Burning during urination or does not urinate
• Rash
• Stiff neck
• Difficulty waking up
• Not up to date on immunizations

Seek emergency care if you or a loved one has a fever that lasts for more than two days, or if the fever is accompanied by any of these symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing
• Headache
• Abdominal pain

If you have one of these medical conditions and a fever, you should seek emergency care:

• Compromised immune system
• Recent chemotherapy

Patients can complete advance check-in to any of Wesley's four emergency rooms with a free mobile app available for Apple iPhones in iTunes and for Android Phones in the Google Play app Store. Patients can also complete advance registration at Wesley ER Check In. Users simple select which Wesley facility they would like to go to and fill out a few required fields. The selected ER will be instantly notified, enabling the ER staff to better prepare for the patient's arrival. The app and website include the facilities' average wait times so patients can better plan their visit.

ER wait times are approximate and provided for informational purposes only. If you are having a medical emergency, call 911.

ER wait times represent a four-hour rolling average updated every 30 minutes and are defined as the time of patient arrival until the time the patient is greeted by a qualified medical professional. Patients are triaged at arrival and are seen by a qualified medical professional in priority order based on their presenting complaint and reason for visit.

The ER wait time represents the time it takes to see a qualified medical professional, defined as a doctor of medicine (MD), doctor of osteopathy (DO), physician assistant (PA) or advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP).

National average wait time is one hour, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HCA hospitals strive to beat the national average.

Wesley's main emergency department also provides Ready Care services, an “express lane” through the emergency department in a convenient, timely setting. These services are an alternative care route to the regular emergency department where treatment is determined on the severity of the patient's condition. Ready Care is ideal for patients who need immediate care for small emergencies, such as sprains, sore throats, ear infections and rashes. The service area is managed by providers trained in emergency medicine and is fully supervised by board-certified physicians. Patients are referred to the area through the regular emergency department.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please contact 911 or seek medical attention immediately.