Sick Visits Specialist

Sick visits are consultations with your child’s pediatrician to diagnose and treat acute health problems. Fiona Carroll, MD, of Child & Adolescent Health Center in Lathrup Village, Michigan, offers sick visits to help children recover from influenza, earaches, sore throats, rashes, and many other childhood illnesses. To arrange a sick visit for your child, call Child & Adolescent Health Center today or book an appointment online.

What are sick visits?

Sick visits provide your child with acute care, helping them recover from illnesses causing unpleasant or painful symptoms.

Children often don’t need medical attention for minor illnesses. If they’re in good health and get sufficient rest, common infections like colds should clear up in a week. You can also use over-the-counter remedies to help ease colds and problems like headaches.

However, if your child has a health disorder like asthma or another chronic condition, infections can affect them more severely. And some viruses are more severe than others, so they cause worse symptoms. 

Secondary infections may set in, too, so a cold can develop into sinusitis or bronchitis (a chest infection).

If you have any concerns about your child’s health, it’s best to speak to your pediatrician at Child & Adolescent Health Center for expert advice.

What symptoms might require a sick visit?

It’s worth booking a sick visit for any symptoms causing your child distress, particularly if they worsen or don’t improve after a few days. Common problems that Child & Adolescent Health Center pediatricians see at sick visits include:

• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Constipation
• Fevers 
• Skin rashes or hives
• Abdominal pain
• Sore throat or cough
• Earache
• Eye infections
• Dehydration
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Injuries such as minor cuts, sprains and strains, and burns might require a same-day sick visit. You can also book a sick visit if your child has a flare-up of an ongoing condition such as asthma, eczema, or an allergy.

What happens during a sick visit?

Your Child & Adolescent Health Center pediatrician begins the sick visit by looking through your child’s medical history and discussing their current symptoms. They perform a physical exam, checking important health indicators like:

• Temperature
• Blood pressure
• Pulse (heart rate)
• Respiration (breathing) rate
• Reflexes
• Heart and lung sounds
• Color of gums and the whites of the eyes

Your pediatrician feels the area causing pain and other symptoms for any abnormalities. This also helps to pinpoint the source of your child’s condition. 

They might take blood, urine, or other samples for lab testing, for example, taking a throat swab for strep testing. Your pediatrician may order a diagnostic procedure such as X-rays, ultrasound, or lung function test, depending on the likely cause of the problem.

If your child is ill, contact Child & Adolescent Health Center for help. A friendly team member can book an appointment with your pediatrician or advise you to go to the hospital emergency room for more serious conditions. 

Call the office today to schedule a sick visit or book an appointment online.