We have some suggestions that will help you determine when to use our emergency phone service.

1. Please call during regular office hours to make appointments and ask routine questions (e.g. feeding questions, diaper rash creams). The doctors on call cannot make appointments for the following day.



2. If you feel uncomfortable managing your child's illness through the night, we expect to hear from you. Things that are considered an emergency include: a serious accident or injury, poisoning, bleeding that cannot be stopped, unconsciousness, severe breathing difficulties, convulsions, sharp abdominal pain lasting more than 2 hours, black or bloody bowel movements, severe diarrhea in an infant, or a fever of 100.4ºF taken rectally in an infant under three months of age.



3. Please take your child's temperature before calling for advise. If your child is under 3 months of age, please take the temperature rectally.



4. If possible, try not to leave your phone after paging the doctor.



5. Please deactivate anonymous call blocking if you are awaiting a doctor call after hours.



6. Have a pharmacy phone number ready should we need to call in a medication. Be sure the pharmacy is open at the hour that you are calling.



7. For life threatening emergencies, call 911.



8. For poisonings, call 1-800-POISON-1.