How do you handle going to the ER?

[aydensmama]

My oldest, who was delayed/selective vax schedule (but none since the age of three and he is almost 5), had a gash in his head that needed stitches or glue. So off to the ER. Luckily we had done Tetanus in 8.07 before I stopped altogether, so they didn't bug me about that. But they did question if he was up to date. They also were talking about us outside the room- shouldn't he of had tetanus at the age of 4?

How do you all handle this. What if he hadn't of had tetanus in the time frame they requested. I am confident in my decision with family and friends, but I tend to clam up when we are in an ER situation, and can get bullied into things.....

[fruitfulmomma]

The first time they didn't ask and the second time I just told him that we were not vaccinating at that time and he didn't push it. If they did push it, I would tell them we'd discuss it with our family doctor.

About the tetanus, as I understand it, it is not retroactive so giving it after the fact is not going to do anything. If they were concerned about that particular injury they need to give the TIG.

[paxye]

We were in the ER a few weeks ago for DS#3... he fell in a busy place and hit his head on the corner of a game machine and had a big gash... he has never been vaxed or even been to a wbv...

Here is a C&P of what I wrote later that day....

"We got to the emergency room and went right into Triage… the nurse asked a few questions and then came to the dreaded question… “are his vaccines up to date?” To which I responded that we don’t vaccinate… she said “OK” and then whispered… “I don’t vaccinate either”… and then she warned me that they might push the tetanus vaccine but that it was my choice…
....

we went and waited in the suture room until the doctor came… when he got the he again asked the same questions.. what happened? how old is he? are his Vaccines up to date? I answered that we don’t vaccinate and he just said Ok… and left it at that…"

I was honestly nervous that I would have to fight but I was prepared to and it was such a relief that I didn't... I got a lot of pressure when ds#2 was hospitalized as a baby but there are reasons that we don't vax and it is our choice and our right not to and there is nothing that can change our minds.

[SoCaliMommy]

My son hasn't been vaxed since he was 4months old and we don't do well child check ups, only go to the dr for being really sick or if i have a concern about them.

He had a trip to the ER when he was little over 1yr when i accidentally shut a sliding van door on his foot, they never said anything when i said he wasn't up to date on his vaccines.

Then when he was really sick and his dr was way overbooked i ended up in the Er with him and they never had a problem or hassled me about him not being up to date with vaccines.

[peainthepod]

This has been a small fear of mine and our plan is just to say that we're on a modified schedule under the supervision of his regular pediatrician. Which is true, because our regular ped has no problem with us not vaccinating.

I worry that an overzealous nurse or doctor would vaccinate him without our consent if they found out we're vaccine-free. In an ER situation I don't think I'd really want to get into it.

[Ruthla]

When I took DS (then 12mo and completely unvaccinated) into the ER with croup and possibly dehydration, they didn't even ask about his vaccine status.

I can see how they would ask about tetanus vaccines if you're there with an injury (even an injury that has no possibility of contracting tetanus), but if you're there for another reason it may not even come up.

[mamajjr]

My children have been to the ER twice in the last two months. When they asked if their vaccinations were current, I just said yes. According to my schedule they are current.

[shelbean91]

I say 'we're current for us, but we are on a delayed vax schedule'. I've only been in the ER for broken bones, so never really been pushed.

[Peppermint]

It depends on the reason for going to the ER. A couple of weeks ago, I had to take DS (2) to Urgent Care as his fever went up to 106 and he had had an on and off fever for a few weeks (it got higher each time). The nurse and Dr. did not even ask if he was vaccinated or up to date, I actually offered the info toward the end of the appt, just b/c I felt that that was a situation where the info. might be needed. I also had purposefully gone to an Urgent Care where I had heard that the Dr. was friendly toward no-vax parents, so I kind of knew I was "safe" there.

[OceansEve]

w/ DD1 (her first time being sick w/ fever and vomit over two days) at a night clinic they shoved us out the door and told us to go to the ER because we said she was not vaxed

w/ DD2 when she stopped breathing and turned blue at the ER not a word when I said we won't vax. They xrayed to see if she had swallowed something and sent us on our way. No problem.

If they had I was prepared to say - family reactions, philisophical and religious reasons so back off and treat my daughter.

[caro113]

Originally Posted by mamajjr

My children have been to the ER twice in the last two months. When they asked if their vaccinations were current, I just said yes. According to my schedule they are current.

Exactly!! I think how you think! That's what I would say if I were in the situation (which we almost were last night when DD fell and hit her chin and ended up cutting her lip and tongue with her teeth and her check swelled a bit .. but once she calmed down she was okay and after half an hour or so the swelling and redness went down .. and she's fine now )

Here's my hijacking question: I assume they ask about a regular ped? How do you handle question when you don't actually have one?

[OceansEve]

Originally Posted by caro113

Here's my hijacking question: I assume they ask about a regular ped? How do you handle question when you don't actually have one?

I answered with the last ped she saw Even if we never went back and never intended to

[mamajjr]

I give them the ped's name. He is ok with our decisions.

[aydensmama]

Thanks ladies! I thought about saying yes, and moving on. It was a head cut, so it bleed profusely so I wasn't nervous about not having the tetanus vaccine at all (sometimes I am). I just choked up. She asked me in triage what he was not caught up on, since I said he was on a delayed sched, and I said I am not sure- the records are at his doctors office. With ds2, the answer is a simple, no we don't vax. Not that he has had some, like with ds1. I think I may go with a yes or no next time, so it doesn't appear that it is an option for me to do so in a pressure situation.

Thanks again....

[tammyswanson]

I remember reading on here that if they press you for information about who your doctor is, say you can't pronounce the doctors name, or forget their name. That would be in case of a situation where you feel threatened by them, like you think they will call CPS on you or something like that.

They had a cop dress up as a doctor when we took DS in to the ER the third day after he was born. He didn't have any problems, but my mother was freaking out because we didn't have him in a germ infested hospital...and there was nothing wrong with him either! They were so stupid they had no clue as to how to deal with a baby born at home. They claim they 'never had a case like that' before. Yeah, I'm sure! No one who does home birth wants to go to the hospital for a good reason. They did talk me into the vitamin K shot, which I could kick myself for, I didn't know the risk of leukemia for that one. And you can bet they sure as heck won't tell you.

[walking burp cloth]

I have said "he has everything he needs".

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by walking burp cloth

I have said "he has everything he needs".

[klg47]

Say as little as possible and don't volunteer information that is not necessary. Our son had a breath-holding spell which led to a seizure. The paramedics or the hospital (not sure which) gave him anti-seizure medication which led to him not breathing. He was life-flighted to a children's hospital. They were concerned that he might have meningitis or something. I knew that the problems were solely because of the seizure, but I could understand them needing to check for everything. In this case, they did need to know the facts, but they did not need to know all our reasons. My husband kept on talking and talking unnecessarily. It didn't really change how we were treated or the level of care, but I thought it made us look a little wacko.

Keeping it short and simple (unlike this reply) is usually best.

[mountainsun]

the one time we had to take ds1, my reply was "We delay vaccines," got the eye-roll from the triage nurse,but then she moved on.

truth is,we dont vax, I just feel that that is a less threatening answer......

[lovingmommyhood]

We just had my 3 year old son in to the ER last night, he got into adult aspirin. They asked "he's up to date on vaccinations, RIGHT?" (As if it matters for aspirin poisoning?) And we just said "yep", because he's up to date on my schedule. Ha!