This article is for general educational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. For severe or life-threatening symptoms, call 911 or seek emergency medical care immediately.

A new school year brings classrooms, playground time, PE, sports practices, and close contact with classmates. It can also bring fevers, respiratory illnesses, falls, sprains, fractures, and cuts. For Abilene parents, the difficult question is often whether a problem can be monitored or needs emergency evaluation.

Most minor childhood illnesses and injuries are not emergencies. However, symptoms that are severe, worsening, or affecting breathing, alertness, circulation, hydration, or normal movement deserve prompt medical attention. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

When Is a Child’s Fever Concerning?

A fever is a sign the body is responding to illness, and the temperature alone does not show how serious the cause is. Age and accompanying symptoms matter. A baby younger than 3 months with a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher needs prompt medical evaluation. For older children, consider how the child looks and acts as well as the number on the thermometer.

Emergency evaluation may be appropriate when fever occurs with trouble breathing, a seizure, severe dehydration, unusual confusion, extreme sleepiness, difficulty waking, a stiff neck, or rapid worsening. A fever that repeatedly rises above 104°F (40°C) also warrants medical attention.

Sports Injuries: Sprain or Possible Fracture?

Back-to-school sports and PE can lead to ankle, wrist, knee, arm, and shoulder injuries. Sprains and fractures can both cause pain, swelling, bruising, and tenderness, so parents cannot always tell the difference at home. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes that severe sprains can have symptoms similar to broken bones.

Seek professional evaluation for visible deformity, severe or localized pain, marked swelling, numbness, coolness of the hand or foot, inability to use the limb normally, or inability to bear weight. A clinician may order an X-ray if a fracture is suspected. Not every sports injury requires imaging; the decision depends on the examination and how the injury occurred.

Cuts and Lacerations: When Might Stitches Be Needed?

School projects, playground equipment, sports, and falls can cause cuts. Small, shallow cuts may respond to basic first aid, but some wounds need medical evaluation.

Seek care for a wound that is deep or gaping, exposes deeper tissue, has significant contamination, involves the face or another sensitive area, or continues bleeding despite firm direct pressure. An emergency physician can determine whether stitches, skin adhesive, or another form of wound closure is appropriate.

Falls and Head Injuries: Warning Signs

A playground fall, sports collision, or hit to the head can cause a concussion or more serious injury. Observe children closely after a significant impact because symptoms may develop later.

Warning signs include a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, seizure, increasing confusion, unusual behavior, slurred speech, weakness or numbness, poor coordination, increasing drowsiness, difficulty waking, one pupil larger than the other, or double vision. For severe symptoms or unresponsiveness, call 911.

A CT scan is not routinely needed to diagnose a concussion. A clinician may consider CT imaging when specific risk factors raise concern for bleeding or another serious injury.

Flu, Viral Illnesses, Sore Throats, and Ear Pain

Returning to school increases exposure to respiratory viruses. Flu can cause fever, cough, sore throat, congestion, body aches, headache, and fatigue; young children may also have vomiting or diarrhea. Not every viral illness needs emergency care.

Seek urgent medical attention for significant breathing difficulty, bluish lips or face, chest pain, severe dehydration, seizure, unusual lack of alertness, or symptoms that improve and then become substantially worse.

Ear pain alone does not confirm an ear infection; the eardrum generally needs to be examined. Likewise, a painful or red throat does not automatically mean strep. When strep is suspected, a healthcare professional may use a rapid strep test and, in some cases, a throat culture.

What Parents Can Expect at Express ER in Abilene

The emergency evaluation depends on the child’s symptoms and injury. A clinician may review medical history, how the injury occurred, vital signs, hydration, breathing, alertness, movement, sensation, circulation, and other relevant findings.

Testing is not automatic. Depending on the examination, an X-ray may be considered for a suspected fracture, lab testing may help evaluate certain illnesses, and CT may be considered for selected injuries or conditions. Express ER in Abilene provides 24/7 emergency care and has on-site laboratory and imaging capabilities, including digital X-ray, CT, and ultrasound.

If your child’s condition is severe, rapidly worsening, or beyond what you can safely assess at home, professional medical evaluation can help determine the appropriate next step.

Frequently Asked Questions