Fractured bones are a common injury among children of all ages. However, a recent study suggests that most doctors may not be placing splints correctly on their pediatric patients, increasing the risk of swelling and damage to the skin. What does this mean for you as a parent? How do you choose between urgent care for kids and a trip to the local emergency room given this new evidence?

Typically, fractures are treated by a primary healthcare provider, before being examined by an orthopedic surgeon. Recently, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine analyzed this process by looking at 275 children and teenagers with fractures who were treated by primary care physicians before being seen by specialists at their institute. The researchers found that as many as 93% of these patients had been improperly splinted: in 77% of cases, this meant that an elastic bandage had been applied directly to the skin, while in 59% the joints had not been fully immobilized, and in 52% the splint was the wrong length. As a result, 40% of the patients had skin and soft tissue complications.

However, the most worrying detail of the study is that the patients visited different types of primary care providers to receive their splints, with most turning to urgent care centers or emergency room care. The researcher says this means that doctors in every different medical setting in Maryland likely need further training in properly caring for fractured bones, particularly when it comes to caring for children.

Fortunately, additional evidence shows that this problem could be quickly eradicated, particularly at urgent care clinics: because these medical walk in clinics are still a fairly new addition to the healthcare industry, only 80.7% of urgent care centers currently provide care and splinting for bone fractures. However, an estimated 55% of the estimated 7,164 urgent care facilities have now been in business for five years or longer, giving urgent care doctors plenty of experience with this type of injury. Moreover, an increasing number of urgent care centers now provide X-ray services to better diagnose bone-related injuries, increasing the clinic’s ability to provide the best possible care for each case. This is especially true when it comes to urgent care for kids, as participation in sports and other activities make children and teenagers extremely susceptible to this type of injury.

Despite the University of Maryland’s study, parents should have no reason to worry about whether or not urgent care for kids is the right choice for their family. The next time your child has a possible musculoskeletal injury, consider taking them to an urgent care clinic to get the proper treatment they need. Check out this site for more.