My child has a high fever; should I take them to urgent care or the ER?
Quick Answer
Most fevers can be handled at Prime Time Pediatrics’ walk-in urgent care, but go to the ER for evaluation of fever if your child also struggles to breathe, has severe vomiting, has a seizure, is dehydrated, is under 3 months old, or has a fever of 105 or higher.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. For diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition, please visit Prime Time Pediatrics or consult another qualified healthcare professional.
Detailed Answer
When your child’s temperature climbs above 100.4 °F, urgent care pediatric specialists can evaluate the cause, give a rapid strep test, flu or RSV test, and help your family avoid long ER waits. Bring your child with fever to Prime Time Pediatrics if they are older than 3 months and have ear pain, sore throat, cough, rash, or you simply want an expert to examine them. Our experienced board-certified pediatricians, on-site labs and kid-friendly environment mean most families are in, treated and headed back home the same evening.
Go directly to the emergency room—not a pediatric walk in clinic—if your baby is under 3 months with any fever, or if any age child has: breathing problems (retractions, grunting, bluish lips), a seizure, stiff neck, severe headache, confusion, uncontrolled pain, a temperature of 105 °F or higher, signs of dehydration (no tears, dry mouth, no urine for 8 hours), or a purple rash.
For most other illnesses, our urgent care for kids is open Monday–Saturday with evening hours. You can save time by registering online through Fast Pass (https://primetimepeds.com/fast-pass/) before you drive over to 1618 Mars Hill Rd, Suites A &B, Watkinsville. We accept most major insurance and offer pay-at-visit discounts so you can get expert care without surprise bills.
Board-certified pediatricians David Sprayberry, MD, Breana Miller, MD, and Dr. Megan Redfern, care for patients from birth through age 19. On-site rapid strep tests, rapid flu tests, RSV, mono, COVID-19, urinalysis and more mean you leave with answers in minutes instead of days. We accept most major insurance plans—including Anthem BCBS, Cigna, United, Aetna, Amerigroup and CareSource—and offer prompt-pay discounts for self-pay families.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. For diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition, please visit Prime Time Pediatrics or consult another qualified healthcare professional.
