Urgent Minor Injuries Specialist

What are urgent minor injuries? 

Any minor injury your child sustains that you can’t successfully treat at home would likely benefit from professional attention. Common urgent minor injuries include:

• Shallow cuts or abrasions
  
• Bruises and skin lesions
  
• Acute sprains and strains
  
• Minor bone fractures
  
• Minor burns, including sunburns 
  

 Although many minor injuries are painful and require immediate medical care, they aren’t serious enough to jeopardize your child’s life, mobility, or long-term health. 

What causes urgent minor injuries?

Minor injuries are such a common part of childhood that many parents regard them as rites of passage. While that may be true, it’s still important to keep your kids as healthy as possible by creating a safe household environment for your children and promoting safe play outside of the home. 

Knowing how most kids get hurt can help you develop a plan for keeping your child safe. Many minor urgent injuries happen in one of the following ways: 

Kitchen accidents

As one of the most common pediatric injuries, minor skin burns often happen in the kitchen. Hot stovetops, pans or containers that are just out of the oven or microwave, and hot steaming liquid from pans, cups, and bowls can all result in burns that require professional care. 

Trip-and-fall accidents

Falling down is inevitable when toddlers are learning to walk and older kids are testing their physical limits, but when children fall — especially when they fall from an elevated height — they’re susceptible to bruises, cuts, scrapes, fractures, and concussions. 

Sports accidents

Bicycle and scooter crashes, rollerblade falls, and skateboard mishaps are some of the most common causes of bruises, cuts, and bone fractures in grade-schoolers and teens alike. Kids who play team sports like soccer, football, or volleyball are more likely to experience minor sprains and strains. 

How can I tell if my child needs stitches?

When your child sustains a bad cut, you may find yourself wondering if they need stitches. There are two basic types of cuts: the kind that only requires a little antiseptic and a band-aid, and the kind that won’t stay closed or heal without sutures. 

Your child may need stitches if their wound won’t stay closed or stop bleeding even when it’s bandaged; they may also require professional care if their cut is so deep that you can see underlying tissues. The team at Kids Kare & Woodbine Pediatrics provides comprehensive care for problematic cuts, including injectable anesthetics, wound cleansing, and dissolving sutures. 

If your child has suffered a minor urgent injury, callKids Kare & Woodbine Pediatrics or book your same-day appointment online today.