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emergency department - main campus

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Emergency Department Open 24/7 We are unable to estimate your wait time due to the high patient volumes view holiday hours

emergency department - main campus

Address One Children’s Plaza

Please note: We are unable to estimate your wait time due to the high patient volumes.

The Dayton Children's main campus emergency department treats over 80,000 children every year. It provides the highest level of customized emergency care for a child seriously hurt or ill.

Children are not just little adults. They react in different ways to illness and injury, medications and treatments. Dayton Children’s experts are specially trained to care for children in any emergency. A pediatric emergency room is the best place for any child, from birth to age 21, to be seen for serious injury or illness.

Each member of the emergency department staff, from doctor to nurse to medical imaging technician, has extra training in the special needs of children. Trauma-credentialed, pediatric emergency physicians lead the team and focus on customizing each treatment for the specific needs of the child.

When needed, the child can be admitted to surgery, intensive care or another inpatient unit to receive the specialized pediatric care they need to make the best possible recovery.

Learn more

parking

Our main campus emergency department offers a free lot for families located next to the emergency department.

when should I visit an emergency department?

  • If your child has difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • If your child has had a change in mental status, such as suddenly becoming unusually sleepy or difficult to wake, disoriented, or confused
  • If your child has a cut in the skin that is bleeding and won't stop
  • If your child has a stiff neck along with a fever
  • If your child has a rapid heartbeat that doesn't slow down
  • If your child accidentally ingests a poisonous substance or too much medication
  • If your child has had more than minor head trauma

Other situations may seem alarming, but don't require a trip to the ED. The list below includes some of the symptoms that may require calling your doctor:

  • Ear pain
  • Pain in the abdomen
  • Headache that doesn't go away
  • Rash
  • Mild wheezing
  • Persistent cough

When in doubt, call your doctor. Even if the doctor isn't available, the office nurse can talk with you and determine whether you should go to the ED.

Learn more about choosing urgent vs. emergency are.