When to call you Pediatrician After Office Hours: 985-448-3700 or 985-851-2000

Though we can not detail every reason that parents need to call, almost all TRUE medical emergencies involve ONLY a few categories.  You should certainly call if there is difficulty breathing, severe pain or no urine output for 8-10 hours.  The goal of the on call physician is to help you plan when the patient should be seen.

Fever guidelines:

Call the on call provider for Infants 2-3 months of age with a fever 100.4 or higher

For older infants and children who are in generally good health and vaccinated, the FIRST thing to do is to give your child a dose of a fever reducing medication and wait to see how he/she does.  If the fever reduces slightly or returns to normal and the child perks up, there is no emergency and no need to call.  If the temperature is over 101.0 and remains high despite reducing medication, then a call may be necessary.

Rashes:

Because we cannot see the child, rashes are very difficult to diagnose over the phone. With a rash, we will attempt to determine if it represents a serious illness ( the child would appear extremely ill in that situation) or if it's an allergic reaction (such as hives). To receive a diagnosis beyond that , the child would need an appointment in the office.  Due to HIPPA, we cannot accept electronic transmission of photos.

For life threatening emergencies call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Poison Control 1-800-222-1222