Emergency Centers Designed for Children
Pediatric Emergency Rooms
ERs right-sized for your child and built for fast, specialized care
CHRISTUS Children’s ERs are built for your children, with child-sized medical equipment and pediatric experts trained to address your child's emotional and physical needs.
When you visit our pediatric ER, you receive care at a fully specialized medical facility designed for infants, children, and adolescents.
The ER is staffed with experts who treat pediatric emergencies every day. When your child needs emergency care, you want care that is specifically designed for your child.
Why CHRISTUS Children’s ERs are different
Children respond to illness and injury differently from adults. They can maintain normal vital signs for longer when they are sick. However, when a child’s condition declines, it often happens rapidly.
Additionally, children can't always explain what hurts or where they feel pain. They also don’t like getting their blood drawn or being seen by a doctor.
CHRISTUS Children's is prepared to care for your child and works to ensure your child can get the best care possible by:
- accessing advanced specialists 24/7
- offering an environment and aesthetics tailored towards kids
- providing medical equipment sized for kids
- providing professional medical staff with extensive pediatric training
Pediatric ERs
Managing High Risk Fever in Infants
Babies younger than 2 months with a fever need to go to the ER.
A severe infection might only show symptoms of a mild fever in an infant. Since infants can't fight infections like older children, this could be a sign of something more serious. Babies 0–60 days old should always be checked for a fever.
What pediatric ERs do for young infants with fever:
- Follow rigorous, standardized fever in infant protocols
- Perform recommended diagnostic tests to catch bacterial infections early
- Recognize subtle clinical signs newborns often show before vitals change
- Begin treatment quickly, including antibiotics when necessary
Specialized Staff for Children of All Ages
Our children’s ERs are structured and equipped exclusively for kids with pediatric-trained staff:
Pediatric emergency physicians
- Completed three years of pediatric residency
- Followed by three years of pediatric emergency medicine fellowship
- Expert in newborn, infant, child, and adolescent emergencies
Pediatric Nurses
- Trained in pediatric physiology
- Skilled at recognizing sick infants
- Specialists in child-specific resuscitation, subtle breathing cues, and early deterioration signs
Access to specialists 24/7 through CHRISTUS Children's
- Pediatric Surgery
- Orthopedics
- Neurology & Neurosurgery
- Cardiology
- Gastroenterology (GI)
- Endocrinology (DKA emergencies)
- Nephrology
- ENT
- Neonatology
Prepare for Your ER Visit
When you come to the ER, it's important to have a good handle on your child's symptoms. It's also important to know your child's medical history — allergies, past illnesses, injuries, surgeries, immunization history, or chronic conditions.
Even if you know the medical history by heart, consider writing it down so it's handy during the chaos of an emergency. And keeping a written record readily available at home will let anyone caring for your child — such as a babysitter — provide it should your child be taken to the ER.
To prepare a medical history, include:
- Medications your child is taking
- Allergies
- History of previous hospitalizations
- Any previous surgeries
- Illnesses
- Relevant family history
- Immunization history
You also might be asked when your child last had anything to eat or drink. You should know the name and number of your child's primary care provider. And it's good to know the name and number of the pharmacy where you usually get your prescriptions filled.
If you come to the ER because your child has ingested a particular medication or household product, bring the container of whatever was ingested. That will help the doctors understand what kind of treatment is required. If your child has swallowed an object, bring an example of that object, if possible. If you think there's a chance that your child might have to be admitted to the hospital, you may want to grab a change of clothes and toothbrushes for you and your child.
What to Expect During Your Child's ER Visit
Upon arrival, a pediatric triage nurse will quickly assess your child’s symptoms to determine the level of urgency. Children with potentially life-threatening conditions receive immediate care. All other patients are seen in order of clinical priority as rooms and providers become available.
Wait times depend on overall patient volume, room availability, and the severity of incoming cases. An empty waiting room does not always indicate a lack of activity inside the treatment area.
Please notify staff immediately if your child’s condition changes or worsens. Before allowing your child to eat or drink, check with the care team, as certain procedures require fasting. Language interpretation services are available for all families.
Our care is based on a family-centered philosophy. Parents are welcomed at the bedside, and our team communicates openly with you while explaining everything to your child in simple, age-appropriate language.