Pediatric Telephone Protocols. Office Version

Infants

• Bottle-Feeding (Formula) Questions
• Breastfeeding Questions
• Circumcision Problems
• Cradle Cap
• Crying, Before Months Old
• Crying, Months and Older
• Diaper Rash
• Foreskin Care Questions
• Hernia, Umbilical
• Jaundice, Newborn
• Newborn (Up to 3 Months) Acts Sick
• Newborn Appearance Questions
• Newborn Rashes and Birthmarks
• Newborn Reflexes and Behavior
• Spitting Up (Reflux)
• Tear Duct, Blocked
• Thrush
• Umbilical Cord Symptoms 

Skin/Bites

• Animal Bite
• Athlete’s Foot
• Bee or Yellow Jacket Sting
• Chickenpox, Diagnosed or Suspected
• Eczema
• Fifth Disease
• Fire Ant Sting
• Frostbite and Cold Exposure
• Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease
• Hives
• Impetigo (Infected Sore)
• Insect Bite
• Lice
• Mosquito Bite
• Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac
• Rash, Amoxicillin or Augmentin
• Rash, Widespread on Drugs
• Rash or Redness, Localized
• Rash or Redness, Widespread
• Ringworm
• Skin, Foreign Body
• Skin, Lump or Localized Swelling
• Spider Bite
• Sunburn
• Tick Bite
• Warts
• Wound Infection Suspected 

A–Z 

A

• Abdominal Pain
• Arm Pain
• Asthma Attack 

B

• Back Pain
• Bronchiolitis Follow-Up Call
• Burns 

C

• Chest Pain
• Colds
• Constipation
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Diagnosed or Suspected
• Cough
• Croup 

D

• Diarrhea
• Dizziness 

E

• Ear, Congestion
• Ear, Discharge
• Ear, Foreign Body
• Ear, Pulling at or Rubbing
• Ear, Swimmer’s
• Ear Infection Follow-up Call
• Earache
• Eye, Allergy
• Eye, Foreign Body
• Eye, Pus or Discharge
• Eye, Red Without Pus
• Eye, Swelling

F

• Fever
• Fluid Intake, Decreased
• Food Reactions 

H

• Headache 

I

• Immunization Reactions
• Infection on Antibiotic Follow-up Call
• Influenza (Flu), Seasonal 

L

• Leg Pain
• Lymph Nodes, Swollen 

M

• Medication Questions
• Menstrual Cramps
• Menstrual Period, Missed or Late
• Mouth Ulcers 

N

• Nasal Allergies (Hay Fever)
• Neck Pain or Stiffness
• Nose, Foreign Body
• Nosebleed 

P

• Penis/Scrotum Symptoms Before Puberty
• Penis/Scrotum Symptoms After Puberty
• Pinworms
• Psychosocial Problems
• Puncture Wound 

S

• Scrotum Swelling or Pain
• Sinus Pain or Congestion
• Sore Throat
• Stools, Blood In
• Stools, Unusual Color
• Strep Throat Exposure
• Strep Throat Infection Follow-up Call
• Sty
• Suture or Staple Questions
• Swallowed Foreign Body 

T

• Teething 

U

• Urination Pain (Female)
• Urination Pain (Male) 

V

• Vaginal Bleeding Before Puberty
• Vaginal Bleeding After Puberty
• Vaginal Itching (Irritation) Before Puberty
• Vaginal Symptoms or Discharge Before Puberty
• Vaginal Symptoms or Discharge After Puberty
• Vomiting With Diarrhea
• Vomiting Without Diarrhea 

W

• Weakness (Generalized) and Fatigue
• Wheezing (Other Than Asthma) 

Emergencies

• Anaphylaxis
• Breathing Difficulty (Respiratory Distress)
• Choking, Inhaled Foreign Body
• Confusion (Delirium)
• Eye, Chemical In
• Fainting
• Heat Exposure (Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke)
• Poisoning, Ingestion
• Seizure With Fever
• Seizure Without Fever 

Injuries

• Abdominal Injury
• Arm Injury
• Back Injury
• Chest Injury
• Ear Injury
• Eye Injury
• Finger Injury
• Genital Injury (Female)
• Genital Injury (Male)
• Head Injury
• Leg Injury
• Mouth Injury
• Neck Injury
• Nose Injury
• Skin Injury (Bruises, Cuts, and Scrapes)
• Toe Injury
• Tooth Injury 

Exposures

• Infection Exposure Questions
• Influenza (Flu) Exposure
• Strep Exposure (Strep Contacts)
• Whooping Cough Exposure 

OTC Medications

• Dosage Tables for Over-the-Counter Medications
• Fever and Pain Medicines
• Short-acting Antihistamine (6-8 Hours)
• Long-acting Antihistamines (24 Hours) 

User’s Guide

• User’s Guide for the Telephone Triager
• Prioritizing Calls Checklist for Telephone Triagers
• 911 Checklist for Office Support Staff or Answering Service Staff
• Telephone Log Sheet Samples
• Quality Improvement Checklist: Review of Call Documentation
• Prescription Medication Questions
• Over-the-Counter Medication Questions
• Reviewers of Pediatric Telephone Protocols
• Published Peer-Reviewed Research on Pediatric Call Centers Using Dr Schmitt’s Pediatric Telephone Protocols
• References for All Protocols
• American Academy of Pediatrics Books
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• Section on Telehealth Care: How to Join
• Telemedicine and Pediatric Primary Care

Index

Telehealth and telephone care serve as important tools to connect with patients and families, especially when we are practicing physical distancing. This comprehensive telehealth resource is a must-have for thousands of practices and call centers.

From telehealth pioneer Barton D. Schmitt, MD, FAAP, this award-winning office essential efficiently steps triagers through more than 141 decision support protocols spanning 98% of today's most common complaints.

Key updates in this edition:

 

• Completely updated protocols, references, and resources
• New protocol, COVID-19—Diagnosed or Suspected
• Medication Questions
• And more

In this essential resource you’ll see benefits like:

• Highlighted assessment questions that help you quickly evaluate patient problems and select the appropriate disposition: 911 call, ED referral, office visit, or home care
• Parent-reassuring home care instructions
• Medication questions, dosages, and recommendations
• Find-it-fast index helps to quickly zero in on caller concerns
• Detailed User's Guide serves as a valuable training tool

Handle calls with complete confidence.

Barton D. Schmitt, MD, FAAP, is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and past medical director (1988-2019) of the After-Hours Call Center at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, CO.  Dr Schmitt is also the author of My Child Is Sick!, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).  Dr Schmitt has received several awards, including the C. Anderson Aldrich Award for contributions in child development and the Education Award for contributions in pediatric education, both from the AAP.