Version July 2025
Please read the Disclaimer at the end of this page.
What are discharge instructions? —
Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of your child after getting medical care in the emergency department ("ED").
What should I know? —
You came to the ED for your child's upper respiratory infection ("URI"). A URI can affect your child's nose, throat, ears, and sinuses. Almost all URIs are caused by a virus, so antibiotics will not help. The common cold is an example of a viral URI.
URIs easily spread between people, most often through coughing or sneezing. A URI almost always gets better on its own in about a week.
If your child does have a bacterial infection, the doctor might prescribe antibiotics.
How do I care for my child at home? —
Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure you understand exactly what you need to do to care for your child. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.
You should also do the following:
●Call your child's regular doctor and tell them your child was in the ED. Make a follow-up appointment if you were told to.
●If the doctor told you to give your child medicines, follow all instructions:
•Do not give over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to children younger than 12 years. For children older than 12 years, these medicines might help with symptoms. But they do not cure the URI or help the child get better faster. Follow the directions on the label carefully. Do not give them more than 1 medicine that contains acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
•It is not always necessary to treat a fever in children. But if your child is uncomfortable, you can give them acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin). Follow the directions on the label carefully. Do not give fever medicines to a baby younger than 3 months, unless a doctor or nurse tells you to.
•Never give aspirin to a child younger than 18 years old. Aspirin can cause a dangerous condition called Reye syndrome.
●Wash your and your child's hands often. This helps prevent spreading the infection.
●Teach older children to cough or sneeze into a tissue. If they do not have one, teach them to cough or sneeze into their elbow instead of their hands.
●Offer your child lots of fluids. This helps replace any fluids lost through a runny nose or fever. Older children can have water, juice, or broth. Warm tea or soup can also help soothe a sore throat. For babies, offer regular feedings of breast milk or formula.
●To help a stuffy nose and make it easier to breathe:
•Use a cool mist humidifier to add moisture to the air.
•Use saline nose drops or spray.
•For babies, use a bulb suction or other suction device to help keep their nose clear.
●Keep your child away from smoke. Avoid places where people are or have been smoking.
When should I get emergency help?
●Call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if:
•You can't wake your child up.
•Your child has trouble breathing, and has 1 or more of the following:
-Can only say 1 or 2 words at a time or cannot talk in a full sentence, or your baby has trouble crying
-Needs to sit upright to be able to breathe, or cannot lie down because their breathing gets worse
-Is very tired from working to catch their breath
-Is making a grunting noise when they breathe
-Their skin pulls in between their ribs, below their ribcage, or above their collarbones
●Return to the ED if:
•Your child has trouble breathing when talking or sitting still.
When should I call the doctor? —
Call for advice if your child:
●Has trouble breathing that is less severe than described above
●Has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher that lasts longer than 3 days
●Cannot do their normal activities because of trouble breathing
●Is having trouble eating normally
●Has a stuffy nose that gets worse or does not get better after 10 days
●Has red eyes, or yellow drainage from their eyes
●Has ear pain, or is pulling on their ear
●Gets very fussy
●Has new or worsening symptoms
Patient education: Cough, runny nose, and colds (The Basics)
Patient education: Flu (The Basics)
Patient education: Bronchiolitis and RSV in babies and children (The Basics)
Patient education: The common cold in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Influenza symptoms and treatment (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Influenza prevention (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Bronchiolitis and RSV in infants and children (Beyond the Basics)
