Emergency Care for Pediatric Injuries in San Antonio

When your child has an injury, you may not know what to do or where to go for help. At Prestige Emergency Room, we understand these situations can be challenging to navigate. The good news is that each of our San Antonio locations is fully equipped to provide pediatric injury treatment for a wide range of injuries.

Common Types of Childhood Injuries

Some of the most common pediatric injuries are fractures, burns, and lacerations (cuts).

Fractures

Fractures are simply broken bones. In children, fractures in arm bones are the most common, though breaks in leg bones can happen as well.

A wrist fracture is one of the most common childhood breaks, followed by other bones of the arm and elbow. Because children have more “bendable” bones than adults, greenstick or buckle fractures are common. In this type of break, the bone breaks only part of the way through.

Fractures involving the growth plate are a unique concern with children and require careful assessment by a provider. Children’s bones continue to grow from areas at the ends of the bones called “growth plates,” and damage to these areas can cause problems with ongoing growth.

Symptoms of fractures depend on the severity of the fracture and may include:

Pain.
A misshapen or misaligned limb or joint.
Inability to use or put weight on a limb.
Numbness.
Swelling or bruising.
Open skin with bone protruding (compound fracture).

Burns

Burns are another common childhood injury that often requires medical care. There are three main types of burns:

First-degree. First-degree burns involve damage to the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin.

Second-degree. Affecting both the epidermis and the dermis (the layer beneath), second-degree burns can cause blistering and can be very painful.

Third–degree. Third-degree burns extend through all the layers of skin and may involve the underlying fat or muscle tissue. Nerves may be damaged, so these burns may involve little or no pain.

Symptoms of burns depend on the type of burn:

First-degree: Redness, pain, and changes in skin color.
Second-degree: Swelling, blistering, white skin, severe pain.
Third-degree: Black, white, or brown-colored tissue. The skin may look leathery.

Lacerations

Lacerations, or cuts, are another common pediatric injury. These range from minor cuts that can be treated with basic first aid at home to deep cuts that require stitches.

Symptoms of cuts include pain and bleeding. Depending on the depth of the cut, inner layers of the skin or underlying tissue may be visible. There may be dirt or other debris in the cut.

Causes and Risk Factors of Pediatric Injuries

Fractures

Some common causes of broken bones in children include:

Falls (can involve bikes, skateboards, trampolines, playground equipment).
Traumatic injuries.
Car accidents.
Sports injuries.

Burns

Some of the most common burn injuries in babies and older children happen at home. Common causes include:

Scald burns from very hot bathwater or tap water.
Burns from an open flame or kitchen fire.
Chemical burns.

Pediatric Injury Treatment in the ER

This leads us to an important question: When should you take your child to the emergency room for an injury? What kind of treatment can you expect at the ER?

Fractures

Any fracture or suspected fracture needs to be treated in an ER. An experienced provider can assess your child’s injury, take an X-ray, and stabilize the fracture to protect it and allow for healing. Splints or casts are common treatments for a broken bone. In the event of a severe break or a compound fracture, surgical intervention may be needed.

Burns

A minor, first-degree burn can typically be treated at home. Run the burn under cool water. Apply a sterile bandage to the wound to protect it.

Deeper burns (second or third-degree) need medical attention. Burns over joints or burns that involve the face, hands, or genitals should be cared for in the ER. Chemical burns can be dangerous and should also be treated by an emergency provider.

Burns in babies should always be assessed and treated by a provider.

Lacerations

You may be able to treat many minor cuts at home. Clean the cut with running water and wash around the wound with soapy water. Apply pressure to stop any bleeding. Apply an antibiotic ointment (unless your child is allergic) to the cut and cover it with a bandage to keep it protected while it heals.

Get your child medical care for their cut if:

Bleeding is significant and doesn’t stop with pressure.

The cut is large or very deep—it may need stitches.

The cut involved something dirty or rusty, especially if your child isn’t up to date on their Tetanus shot (within the last 5 years).

The cut is on your child’s face.

Get Specialized Pediatric Injury Treatment at Prestige Emergency Room

If your child has experienced a burn, cut, or fracture, visit Prestige ER. We are committed to fast and compassionate care, and our providers are experienced in treating a wide spectrum of childhood medical emergencies.

Visit us for urgent pediatric injury care and 24/7 emergency services for all ages.