What does PEC mean in PEDIATRIC

Pediatric emergency care is specialized medical attention provided to children in urgent situations. It typically involves immediate diagnosis and treatment for life-threatening illnesses or injuries, as well as stabilizing the child's condition and seeking appropriate follow-up care with a specialist.

Parents should seek out pediatric emergency care when their child is experiencing conditions that could be life-threatening, such as difficulty breathing, neck pain, uncontrolled bleeding, extreme dizziness or confusion, severe abdominal pain, or any other symptoms that could indicate a serious health issue.

Try to stay calm and explain to your child what is happening and why they need to go to the hospital. If possible, have them wear comfortable clothes without any cords or drawstrings. Bring along any medications your child may be taking, including recent medical records if available.

Upon arrival at the pediatric emergency department, you will likely need to provide the healthcare team with detailed information about your child’s medical history and recent symptoms. The healthcare team will assess your child's condition while providing comfort measures such as pain relief medication if needed. Depending on the diagnosis, they may order imaging tests (x-rays), lab work (blood tests) or diagnostic procedures (ultrasound). After all pertinent testing has been completed, you will receive an assessment of your child’s condition so appropriate follow-up treatments can be determined.

While rare, there may be potential risks associated with certain types of diagnostic tests which are commonly performed in a pediatric emergency setting such as ultrasounds or x-rays. However, these risks are usually minimal compared to the benefits of accurately diagnosing your child's medical condition in order to get them the proper treatment they need.

It depends on several factors such as how complex the test is and how quickly results can be analyzed by healthcare professionals in a specialized laboratory facility. Most results are generally received within 24 hours; however it may take up to 72 hours or longer depending on the test being performed.

The cost of each visit depends on several factors such as insurance coverage and type of services provided; however you should check with your insurance carrier before visiting a Pediatric Emergency Department about what portion of costs they may cover.