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" Nine-year-old Tiffany Gaither of Hueytown, Ala., sat in her bedroom watching TV and eating a hot dog while her parents were in the den. Seconds later, she began to gasp for breath; a piece of meat had gotten lodged in her windpipe. Though her parents came running in and quickly performed the Heimlich maneuver, the hot dog didn&amp;#039;t budge, and Tiffany started turning blue. The Gaithers immediately called 911. The dispatcher explained how to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and sent an ambulance. Tiffany&amp;#039;s father was able to get enough air into her lungs to keep her alive until paramedics arrived and removed the hot dog with a laryngoscope. Tiffany was taken to the emergency room for observation, but her parents had saved her life. When an emergency strikes, parents have to make quick decisions: whether to phone the doctor, call 911, or take their child to the emergency room themselves. Knowing which step to take could save your child&amp;#039;s life -- and ensure better treatment. &amp;quot;If a child is not in a life-or-death situation, her own doctor will likely be able to see her sooner than an overwhelmed ER,&amp;quot; points out Charles Welborn, M.D., F.A.A.P., chief of pediatric emergency services at Harlem Hospital in New York City. Use this chart to help determine whether you should be calling 911. Emergency rooms today are inundated with children whose families, lacking health insurance, turn to hospitals for routine care. A child with a sprained ankle could wait hours in a crowded city emergency room. In suburban areas, treatment may be faster, although hospitals all over the country have cut back staff and seen their services suffer in recent years. Read on for information that will save valuable time should an accident occur and help your child get top-quality care. Getting the Best Treatment  During a routine visit, ask your pediatrician what kinds of emergencies her office can handle, advises Dee Hodge, M.D., F.A.A.P., director of emergency medicine at the Children&amp;#039;s Hospital Oakland, in Oakland, Calif. &amp;quot;Some are equipped to stitch cuts or set broken bones.&amp;quot; If your child has a chronic condition, such as asthma, ask which symptoms signal an emergency. Also find out which hospital your doctor recommends in the event of an emergency. Not all ERs have child-size resuscitating equipment or staffs that are experienced in handling a variety of pediatric emergencies. Once you know where to go, map out the best route, then write down the directions and keep them accessible. Of course, an ambulance may simply take a patient to the closest ER. But once a child is stabilized, he can often be transferred to the hospital of your choice.  When to Call 911 and When to Call Your Pediatrician Be prepared to answer questions about all circumstances of your child&amp;#039;s injury or illness, as well as when he last ate (important in case he needs to be anesthetized). &amp;quot;If your child has swallowed medicine or a cleaning solution, bring it with you so we can read the label,&amp;quot; says Carden Johnston, M.D., F.A.A.P., a pediatric emergency-department physician at the Children&amp;#039;s Hospital in Birmingham, Ala. And speak up if your child&amp;#039;s condition worsens. After the emergency-room doctor has seen you, write down all discharge information, including the doctor&amp;#039;s name and office number, dosage instructions for medication, when you should follow up with the pediatrician, and what symptoms to look for in the next 24 hours. &amp;quot;Doctors may rush through discharges,&amp;quot; says Dr. Welborn. &amp;quot;Don&amp;#039;t be afraid to ask questions.&amp;quot; Emergency Checklist  The following information takes only minutes to assemble but can be invaluable when you&amp;#039;re in the throes of a medical crisis: A list of emergency numbers posted by a central telephone, including those of your pediatrician, local ambulance service (if your area is not serviced by 911), police, and poison control, as well as neighbors or family members. A separate list to bring to the hospital that notes medications your child takes, along with doses; the date of his last tetanus shot; any allergies; your pediatrician&amp;#039;s phone number; your health-insurance provider; and any pre-existing conditions your child has. A consent form that allows a caregiver or baby-sitter to have your child treated in the ER if you can&amp;#039;t be reached. It should read: &amp;quot;I hereby grant [baby-sitter&amp;#039;s name] permission to seek emergency medical help in the event that my child [child&amp;#039;s name] is injured or otherwise in need of medical care. I will assume financial responsibility for treatment rendered during this time.&amp;quot; Add a line about where you can be reached and sign it. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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