Infectious disease specialist offers advice for when children should go to the ER – CTV
Nov. 20, 2022
Children’s hospitals across the country are grappling with a surge of patients due to a ‘multi-demic’ causing extreme wait times and leading to some parents feeling anxious about what they can do.
The combined effects of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and COVID-19 have brought the health-care system and staff to a breaking point.
Now, parents are wondering at what point, if at all, they should bring their child to an emergency room.
“Always trust your parent gut,” Dr. Lisa Barrett, infectious disease specialist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, told CTV News Channel on Sunday. “Things that make you worry, really high breathing rates, coughing that keeps them from breathing well, very young children who can’t catch their breath, not eating and drinking and not being alert. Those are all times when you really need to go to a hospital.”
