What is a sick visit?
A sick visit is a doctor’s appointment that you schedule for yourself or your child when you believe you or they are experiencing an illness that requires non-urgent medical care.
Because children get the sniffles so often, it can be very hard for parents to know when you should bring your child into the doctor’s office. If you’re on the fence, consider whether or not they have any of the following symptoms:
- Persistent stomach ache, earache, headache, or sore throat
- A chicken-poxlike rash
- Widespread rashing
- Rashes joined by heavy breathing
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- A fever that lasts over three days
- A high fever in children under one
- A high fever accompanied by vomiting, headache, stiff neck, confusion, or rashes
When in doubt, schedule an appointment. To minimize your time with sick kids in the waiting area, schedule your child’s appointment ahead of time.
When should I go to the emergency room?
Sometimes, a quick sick visit isn’t the right answer for you. Go to the emergency room if you experience symptoms like:
- Sudden severe pain or headaches
- Severe chest pain, particularly if it’s radiating to the jaw or arm
- Paralysis
- Weakness on one side of the body
- Sudden blindness
- Sudden loss of or difficulty speaking, and understanding speech
- Intestinal bleeding
- Car accident with airbag deployment
- Uncontrolled vomiting
- Severe burns
- Bleeding while on blood thinners
In addition, if your child under four months of age develops a fever, take them directly to the emergency room.
What happens during a sick visit?
During a sick visit, Dr. Gutierrez starts by asking you and/or your child about symptoms, health history, family health history, and how the symptoms began.
Based on these answers, he then examines you and does things like:
- Take your temperature
- Listen to your breathing and heartbeat
- Look inside your ears for signs of infection
- Feel your throat for swollen lymph nodes
He may also order tests like urine analysis or stool analysis. If at the end of the visit, Dr. Gutierrez has a diagnosis, he will pass it on to you and write you a prescription for any necessary medications.
All in all, sick visits usually take between 15 and 30 minutes.
If you or your child is feeling ill or not getting better, don’t chance it. Schedule a same day or next day appointment with Dr. Gutierrez over the phone or using the online booking tool.
