Yesterday my 6 year old took a major crash off her bike and split the front of her chin right open to the bone. My husband rushed her to the ER, (he gave her a stress dose of cortef but didn’t think she needed the shot). I met them at the hospital as I was not at home at the time of the accident. As with all ER visits, it was alot of waiting around. The plastic surgeon on call wanted her sedated before they sutured her up . The endo on call ordered a solucortef injection.  It took 2 1/2 hours (from the time we arrived) to get the shot even though it had been ordered within the first hour. Interestingly enough, prior to the shot she just laid in my arms and was pretty calm and quiet (not like herself, but I thought it was just because she was hurting) but within 15 minutes of getting the shot her energy peaked, she was more talkative and alert. She ended up with a dozen stitches and then we got sent home with instructions to stress dose for 24 hours. Today she is back to her oldself.

As with all things I learned a few lessons. Some kids may need the solucortef shot for things other than just broken bones and loss of fluids, I think her body needed it this time. Next time I will give the shot at home or even in the parking lot of the hospital. If she was in a crisis I would go crazy waiting for them to get the orders to give the shot. You can’t hurt them by giving them the shot. You must tell the staff to call the endo on call. I told three people before it finally happened. I felt like a broken record, every time someone came within ear shot I would ask them to call. But once they talked to him it seemed like they took her condition more serious.

Sorry for such a long post but hopefully it will help someone to be a bit more prepared should they have an injury to deal with.