When to visit the ER for sports injuries

Sports injuries can occur at any time during any type of practice or competition, or even while your child is playing at home. In most cases, he or she can provide initial care for broken bones, sprains, strains and ligament tears, and will refer your child to a specialist as needed. However, if your child sustains a more serious injury, emergency care may be necessary.

If your child has these symptoms, visit the ER.

Seek ER treatment if your child's sports injury meets the following parameters:

• The child is younger than 4 years old and cannot use the arm or bear weight on the leg that was injured.
• The limb that was injured looks misshapen or bone is protruding from the skin.

• Loss of consciousness
• Change in level of consciousness (asks repetitive questions, has memory loss)
• Vomiting more than once
• Fever
• Abdominal pain
• Neck pain
• Difficulty breathing

Patients can complete advance check-in to any of Wesley's four emergency rooms with a free mobile app available for Apple iPhones in iTunes and for Android Phones in the Google Play app Store. Patients can also complete advance registration at Wesley ER Check In. Users simple select which Wesley facility they would like to go to and fill out a few required fields. The selected ER will be instantly notified, enabling the ER staff to better prepare for the patient's arrival. The app and website include the facilities' average wait times so patients can better plan their visit.

ER wait times are approximate and provided for informational purposes only. If you are having a medical emergency, call 911.

ER wait times represent a four-hour rolling average updated every 30 minutes and are defined as the time of patient arrival until the time the patient is greeted by a qualified medical professional. Patients are triaged at arrival and are seen by a qualified medical professional in priority order based on their presenting complaint and reason for visit.

The ER wait time represents the time it takes to see a qualified medical professional, defined as a doctor of medicine (MD), doctor of osteopathy (DO), physician assistant (PA) or advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP).

National average wait time is one hour, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HCA hospitals strive to beat the national average.

Wesley's main emergency department also provides Ready Care services, an “express lane” through the emergency department in a convenient, timely setting. These services are an alternative care route to the regular emergency department where treatment is determined on the severity of the patient's condition. Ready Care is ideal for patients who need immediate care for small emergencies, such as sprains, sore throats, ear infections and rashes. The service area is managed by providers trained in emergency medicine and is fully supervised by board-certified physicians. Patients are referred to the area through the regular emergency department.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please contact 911 or seek medical attention immediately.