Tag Archives: diagnostic imaging

How Parents Can Be Prepared for a Pediatric Emergency

Little girl holding inhaler mask.Kids get sick or hurt all the time, and you never know when you’ll be faced with a pediatric emergency.  You need to be prepared in case you have to get your kids help quickly when they are hurt. Highland Park Emergency Room in Dallas have two convenient locations so parents can seek assistance for their kids right away. Knowing where to take your children in case of illness will allow you to save time when they actually get sick or hurt. This will get you on the road and in the right direction more quickly.  You should also have a few things ready in advance. This way, you will be able to get your kids the care they require more quickly.

Being Prepared to Get Help in Case of a Pediatric Emergency

Parents should have a few things ready in case they ever need to respond to a pediatric emergency. For example, you should make a list of allergies that your children have. Remember to write down if your kids are allergic to any medications or have had an adverse drug reaction to any types of drugs they have taken. Kids could also be allergic to things like the dye that is used in CT scans or to latex in medical gloves. Having a list of allergies written down lets you provide this information to care providers. It also ensures that you will not forget anything important in the heat of the moment. If you are not home when kids get sick or hurt and a babysitter or relative needs to take your kids to the ER in case of a pediatric emergency, this list will be invaluable.

Other Ways to be Prepared for a Pediatric Emergency

In addition to listing allergies that children have, you also need to make a list of current medications that your kids are taking. These medications could interact badly with drugs or treatments that the ER may consider to tread your child’s current illness. Having a list in advance ensures that your child is not administered any drugs that could cause an adverse drug interaction.  Having your insurance card available can also be beneficial in case of an emergency, so you should keep your insurance card along with the list of allergies and drugs together in one place.

Responding to a Pediatric Emergency

If your child has a pediatric emergency, you and your son or daughter will benefit from your advanced preparations. Get your information together today! It’s impossible to foresee when a problem will arise. If an issue does occur, Highland Park Emergency Room in Dallas are prepared to help.

Can an Ultrasound Do More Than Let You See the Baby?

doctor hand holding an ultrasound sensor and other hand is playing with ultrasound monitorUltrasounds are one of the most well known diagnostic imaging tests. This is due in large part to their role in pregnancy care. If you are pregnant, doctors check that your child is developing normally using this tool. While this is a common use of ultrasound technology, it is not the only use it has. For example, at Highland Park Emergency Room, our staff uses ultrasounds to diagnose a variety of medical emergencies.

Ultrasound is an Important Diagnostic Tool

Ultrasounds provide images of the internal areas in your body. You can image different parts of the body, including a fetus, as well as the soft tissues and organs. At Highland Park Emergency Room, patients come to our 24-hour emergency facility with  serious medical conditions which could affect:

  • blood vessels
  • the heart
  • the spleen
  • the gallbladder
  • the kidneys
  • the bladder
  • the pancreas
  • the testicles
  • the thyroid
  • the kidneys

In order to correctly see the problem causing your emergency and treat it properly, we use ultrasounds to pin-point and diagnose your problem.

Preparing for an Ultrasoundwoman getting ultrasound diagnostic from doctor, close up of doctor's gloved hand with ultrasound monitor in the background

If you are getting an ultrasound, it is helpful to know what to expect during the process. For example, if you require a abdominal ultrasound, a full bladder is preferable. Similarly, undigested food can interfere and make it hard to get a clear picture, so you may be asked to fast. Medical professionals at Highland Park Emergency Room will give you the necessary instructions. However, ultrasounds are pretty simple and non invasive procedures that don’t need a lot of preparation.

Getting Your Ultrasound

Highland Park Emergency Room provide superior emergency medical care in the Dallas area. Our onsite diagnostic imaging capabilities, including ultrasounds, make our emergency rooms convenient and quick.  Contact us today to learn more.

What Do Doctors Use CT Scans For?

Colored and enhanced X-ray brain medical scan probably made using CT scansHead injuries and trauma are a common result of many accidents and should be addressed, no matter how minor. What most people do not realize is the importance of getting proper medical care after such an accident. CT scans are one of the most important diagnostic tools available atHighland Park Emergency Room.  A CT scan is a very important because it makes it possible to study different parts of the body, including the chest, brain, and stomach.  Doctors can get a very clear picture of what is going on inside of you by using a CT scan.

CT Scans and Head Trauma

When you suffer a blow to the head, it is imperative to get checked out by proper medical professionals as soon as possible. Head injuries can present themselves over time, and you may not show symptoms of a problem. Subdural hematomas, or bleeding in the brain, can be a life threatening man who suffered a head bump who should be diagnosed with CT scanscondition whose symptoms can take days or even weeks to present themselves. Unfortunately, by that time it can be too late to effectively treat the condition. CT scans can identify conditions like this, enabling doctors to catch the condition before it is too late.

Getting an Accurate Diagnosis with CT Scans

CT scans can help doctors to identify exactly what is wrong so you can get the most effective treatment possible.  If you have suffered a fall or another type of accident, you can get CT scans performed at Highland Park Emergency Room in Dallas. Our staff is always ready to help you, so contact us today!

Broken or Sprained- How an Xray Can Tell

doctor reading xray

If you’re injured and aren’t sure if you’ve broken a bone or just suffered a sprain, you need to get an Xray. An Xray makes it possible to look inside of the body to see if the bone is fractured or if the bone is intact. If you are in Dallas and want an accurate diagnosis of a broken bone, you can get an Xray done at Highland Park Emergency Room. You should get this testing done as soon as possible to find out if you need a cast because if the bone starts to heal on its own and does not heal correctly, it could need to be re-broken to be set.

How Does an XRAY Diagnose a Broken Bone?

Xrays must be performed by trained radiologists. You will be positioned by the radiologist so the correct pictures can be taken.  Only the soft tissue- like organs and skin- allow the Xray beams to pass through.   The denser materials, like the bones of the body, absorb the radiation that is being doctor and older man looking over xrayprojected in the thin beam.  The film is developed and it is easy to see where the beam passed through. The solid areas where it did not pass through are the bone structure, so the doctor can see where the bones are and whether they are broken. Broken bones should be set as soon as possible so the bone can begin healing in the correct position.

Getting An Accurate Diagnosis for a Fracture or Sprain

Highland Park Emergency Room both have diagnostic imaging technology and trained radiologists on staff. All of our physicians and nurses are emergency board certified, guaranteeing that they are ready for any and all emergencies. Visit these ERs if you suspect you may have a fracture so you can get the diagnosis you need, or contact us for more information today.