Emergency Services

According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, more than 23 million kids under the age of 15 visit the emergency room each year because of accidents and illnesses. While in the hospital, these children may also need careful monitoring in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) or a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Intermountain Healthcare provides comprehensive pediatric emergency care services at several of its facilities. Your child will receive compassionate care from a staff of physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who are trained to provide treatment to children for a wide range of medical problems, including:

• Acute traumatic injuries
• Swallowed foreign objects and choking
• Chronic conditions such as asthma, cancer, or seizures
• Illnesses such as gastroenteritis (stomach flu), croup, and bronchitis
• Accidental poisonings

The emergency care team will work to keep your child as comfortable as possible during their stay. The staff will provide play activities, toys, and games to help reduce your child’s anxiety during their visit.

If you are not sure whether you should take your child to the emergency room, call your child’s doctor. They will help you decide whether your child needs to go to the emergency room or if they can be treated in the doctor’s office or an urgent care facility. If your child is unconscious, struggling to breathe, or badly injured, you should call 911 immediately.

If your child must go to the emergency room, the most important thing you can do as a parent is remain calm. Be sure to bring your child’s health records and any medications they are taking with you when you go the emergency room. Knowing your child’s health history and current medications helps the emergency room staff provide the best care possible for your child.

If your child requires critical or specialized care, they may be transported to Primary Children’s Hospital. Primary Children’s Hospital is a level 1 pediatric trauma center that serves six states in the intermountain region and is part of the Intermountain Healthcare network.