Prompt #78Emergency
Prompt 78: The "My Baby Fell" Decision Tree
When to use it
Baby/child fell and you need to know if it's an ER, urgent care, pediatrician, or watch-at-home situation.
The Prompt
My baby/child is [AGE] and [WHAT HAPPENED — e.g., "fell off the bed" / "rolled off the changing table" / "fell down stairs" / "fell off the couch while I wasn't looking" / "took a hard tumble learning to walk"]. [HEIGHT — e.g., "3 feet" / "5 stairs" / "standing height"].
I need to triage.
What I see:
- Crying: [E.G., "cried immediately" / "didn't cry for a few seconds (scared me)" / "still crying 20 min later" / "cried then went back to playing"]
- Vomiting: [E.G., "no" / "once, right after" / "multiple times" / "I haven't seen"]
- Behavior: [E.G., "back to normal" / "lethargic" / "won't eat" / "acting normal but I'm worried"]
- Visible injury: [E.G., "small bump on forehead" / "bump on back of head" / "cut (active bleeding)" / "no visible injury" / "red mark fading"]
- Pupils: [E.G., "equal and reactive" / "I haven't checked" / "I don't know how"]
- Time since fall: [E.G., "just now" / "30 min ago" / "2 hours ago" / "overnight (fell asleep)"]
Please give me:
1. The 'ER now' red flags (specific signs of serious head injury)
2. The 'urgent care tonight' criteria
3. The 'call pediatrician tomorrow' criteria
4. The 'monitor at home' criteria
5. The 'red mark vs. goose egg' question
6. What to watch for in the next 24 hours
7. What NOT to do (wake them up every hour, etc.)
8. The 'I feel guilty' reframe (because that's real)
Important: I want a clear answer, not a list.Example output
*"ER now red flags: loss of consciousness (any duration), vomiting >1x or persistent, severe headache (if verbal), seizure, unequal pupils, clear fluid from nose/ears, deep cut (especially if gaping >1cm, won't stop bleeding), suspected broken bone, fall from >3 ft onto hard surface in <2 yr old, lethargy/can't wake up. Urgent care tonight: minor cut needing stitches, large bump with no other symptoms, fall with crying that lasted <1 min and back to normal behavior. Call pediatrician tomorrow: small bump, crying but back to normal, no red flags, parent is just worried. Monitor at home: small bump, normal behavior, drinking/feeding normally. NOT: don't wake them up hourly (causes more harm than good), don't apply ice directly to skin, don't give aspirin. Watch for 24 hrs: vomiting, lethargy, behavior change, headache (if verbal). Guilt: almost every parent has been here. Falls are how babies learn. You're not a bad parent for a fall."*
Related prompts
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Prompt 75: The "Baby Has a Fever" Decision Tree
Baby has a fever and you need to know what to do RIGHT NOW. Including when to go to the ER.
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Prompt 76: The Choking Response Play-by-Play
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#77
Prompt 77: The Allergic Reaction Triage
Baby/child is having an allergic reaction and you need to know if it's anaphylaxis, what to do, and when to call 911.