Pediatric Emergency Care

What is Pediatric Emergency Care?

Pediatric emergency care is acute medical care set up specifically for children. Maine Medical Center has the state’s only pediatric emergency department, designed with the unique needs of young patients in mind. Young patients are treated by emergency medicine specialists for a variety of emergency conditions. Pediatric emergency care may provide services for the following emergency conditions:

  • Infant less than 3 months of age with a fever
  • Trouble breathing
  • Severe stomach pain that doesn’t go away
  • Bad cuts
  • Eye injury
  • Head injury
  • Possible broken bone or severe injury
  • Serious allergic reaction
  • Drug overdose
  • Vomiting that doesn’t go away
  • Dehydration

What is Pediatric Urgent Care?

Pediatric urgent care is for conditions that need immediate treatment but are not as serious as problems that doctors handle in the emergency room. These patients may be cared for in the pediatric emergency department, the emergency department at your local hospital or at urgent care centers. Here are some examples:

  • Ear ache that doesn’t go away
  • Sinus pain
  • Flu-like symptoms
  • Fever in a baby or child over 3 months of age
  • Sore throat
  • Cuts that may need stitches
  • Cuts or wounds that don’t heal
  • Vomiting and diarrhea
  • Headache
  • Pain with urination
  • Asthma attack that is mild
  • Allergic reaction that is mild but requires attention
  • Pink eye
  • Rash
  • Sprain or strain