With long wait times, doctor recommends video calls to determine if children need to be seen

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Between the coughing, sneezing and runny nose that just won't quit, parents are in the thick of it right now trying to get their kids healthy.

"It's good to have a support system, but it's nerve-racking. You never know what's going to happen from minute to minute," said Shannon Collura, mother of two.

Emergency room wait times at UPMC Children's Hospital reached nearly eight hours Thursday evening and it's standing room only in many doctors' waiting rooms.

KDKA's Meghan Schiller talked with UPMC about ways parents can avoid the wait and treat their children's symptoms from the comfort of their homes.

Collura is a mother of two and tells KDKA she's just trying to get through the day. Thankfully, her family is a big support.

 "I don't even know what I would do without them," Collura said. "I mean they came last night while we took Atlas to Children's, and they were here for most of the night, and then my mom came back this morning, and then my mother-in-law dropped off the albuterol this morning."

Collura is just one of many parents checking the ER wait time and trying to decide what to do next. With so many doctors' offices packed right now, UPMC says to try quick video visits to answer one important question.

"They can't do every aspect of the exam, but they certainly can help you assess: Does my child need to be seen or is this something I can take care of at home?" said Dr. Pamela Schoemer, UPMC Children's Community Pediatrics director of quality safety and outcomes.

If your child's doctor can't squeeze in an appointment, there are also after-hour slots available at many Children's Express Care locations.

"They're going to be the same Children's Community Pediatrics providers that you may see and they're going to provide that same high-quality care, but get you in, get you seen, and hopefully get you better a little sooner," said Dr. Schoemer.

Dr. Schoemer tells KDKA that parents should pay attention to fever (Is it lasting too long? It's 48 hours for infants and longer than three days in older children), pain and discomfort, hydration and urine output and breathing changes. 

"Keeping an eye out for when that work of breathing becomes too hard," said Dr. Schoemer. "If your baby is struggling to eat, because it's just too much work, or you see your older child breathing really fast, or using some extra muscles, like their shoulders are going up, or they're sucking their chest in -- those are definitely times that we want you to seek some attention."