Pediatric HouseCalls Online - Instructions for Use

The first purpose of these topics is to help you determine how sick your child is and if you need to call your child's doctor. The second purpose is to help you treat your child at home when it is safe to do so. Your doctor's advice and your good judgment should always take precedence over information in these guidelines.

1. Choose the Appropriate Topic. Topics can be found alphabetically by the body part involved. The body part list is most helpful if you're not sure what to call your child's symptom (e.g., abdomen gives you 5 symptoms to choose from).
   
   Choose the symptom that most closely matches your child's illness. If your child has more than one symptom, address the most serious symptom. Serious means the symptom that potentially could cause the most harm to your child. (Example: for nosebleed and head injury together, use the Head Injury guideline.) If you aren't sure, use more than 1 guideline.
   
   Caution: don't use the fever guideline unless fever is your child's only symptom. If your child also has a cough, diarrhea or other symptom, go to that topic instead of fever. Choosing the appropriate symptom is very important because it leads you to the best information for your child's illness or injury.
   
   
2. Read the Symptom Definition. Go to the chosen symptom and read the Symptom Definition to be sure it's a good fit for your child. If not, consider related symptoms listed under See More Appropriate Topic (instead of this one.)
   
   
3. Read the WHEN TO CALL YOUR DOCTOR (Parent Response) Section. Following the Symptom Definition Section in each topic there is a When to Call Your Doctor Section composed of Responses (what action you should take). Below each Parent Response is a list of symptoms/reasons for calling or being seen by your child's doctor. Read through these bulleted items. Read from top to bottom and don't skip any symptoms or reasons. The purpose of these is to help you determine how sick your child is.
   
   
4. Symbols: > means more than or greater than < means less than or smaller than
   
   
5. Follow the Suggested Parent Response. If your child has even one of the serious or other "Call Your Doctor" symptoms, stop reading the list of reasons to call your doctor and take the Parent Response action suggested in the heading above. (See the separate document on Parent Responses to Illness and Injury for definitions of each Parent Response.) If the recommendation is to call your doctor within 24 hours or during weekday office hours, refer to the Home Care Advice section to help you keep your child comfortable until then.
   
   
6. Follow Home Care Advice. If your child has none of the "Call Your Doctor" symptoms, follow the Home Care Advice listed in the final section. But watch your child carefully for any worsening or new symptoms. If your child's condition changes for the worse, calling your doctor again is a good idea.
   
   
7. Reader's Responsibility. Finally, you're in control of this process. If you think or feel your child needs to be seen, call your doctor for assistance. And if you think you're dealing with a medical emergency, Call 911 NOW.
   
   
8. Disclaimer Notice. These guidelines have been carefully written and reviewed. They were last updated on 9/2003. The author disclaims any responsibility, however, for any harm or damage associated with the use of this information.
   
   
9. Copyright Protection Notice: All rights reserved. No part of this program can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and publisher. It is prohibited to make or distribute any unauthorized copies of these Pediatric HouseCalls Online guidelines for personal or business purposes, to create derivative works, etc. These guidelines are copyright protected and are not available for any of the following purposes:
   
   
   • To use as a template or model for writing a commercial product, be it printed or software.
     
     
   • To use as a reference when writing a commercial product, be it printed or software.
     
     
   • To use as a resource for updating a commercial product.
     

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