emergency department - main campus

Address One Children’s Plaza

Not sure if your child needs to visit the emergency department?
Use our easy symptom checker to find out the best place for your child to get care based on their symptoms. This tool will help you decide if you need to go to the emergency department or if other care, like seeing your child's doctor or visiting a Kids Express clinic, is a better choice. 

view symptom checker

about Dayton Children's emergency department

The Dayton Children's main campus emergency department in Dayton is open 24 hours and is the region's only level 1 pediatric trauma center verified by the American College of Surgeons. 

when should I visit an emergency department?

Take your child to the emergency department if they have:

• Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
• Confusion, trouble waking up, or unusual sleepiness
• A deep cut that won't stop bleeding
• A stiff neck with a fever
• A very fast heartbeat that won't slow down
• Swallowed something poisonous or too much medicine
• A serious head injury

For other minor symptoms like the ones listed below, you might want to visit a Kids Express clinic (in person or online) or call your child's doctor.

• Ear pain
• Pain in the abdomen
• Headache that doesn't go away
• Rash
• Mild wheezing
• Persistent cough

When unsure, contact your doctor’s office – even if the doctor isn’t there, a nurse can help you decide if you need to go to the emergency department.

why choose a pediatric emergency department?

Kids need special care because they react differently to sickness, injuries, and medicines than adults do. At Dayton Children's, our emergency team – including doctors, nurses, and other staff – is specially trained to treat children. Our pediatric emergency doctors are experts in taking care of kids in emergencies.

wait times

Wait times are estimates and can change based on how many patients arrive and how serious their conditions are. Children with the most serious problems will be seen first. If your child has a life-threatening emergency, always call 911.