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 brought your child to the ED for a cold. This is an infection most often caused by a virus, so antibiotics will not help. A cold usually causes a cough, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and sore throat. It sometimes causes a fever. The infection easily spreads from person to person.
Your child's cold will likely get better on its own in a week or 2.
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.
●Do not smoke or vape around your child, or let them be in smoke-filled places.
●Sit with your child in the bathroom while there is a hot shower running. The steam can help soothe their cough.
●Older children can suck on hard candy or a lollipop to soothe sore throat and cough. Children older than 1 year can take a teaspoon (5 mL) of honey.
●To help your child feel better:
•Offer them lots of liquids.
•Use a cool mist humidifier to avoid breathing dry air.
•Use saline nose drops to relieve stuffiness.
●Do not give your child over-the-counter cold or cough medicines or throat sprays, especially if they are under 6 years old. These medicines do not help and can actually harm your child.
●Wash your and your child's hands often. This helps prevent spreading the infection.
When should I get emergency help?
●Call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if:
•Your child has so much trouble breathing they can only say 1 or 2 words at a time.
•Your child needs to sit upright to be able to breathe, or cannot lie down.
•Your child has trouble eating or drinking.
•You cannot wake your child up.
●Return to the ED if your child:
•Has so much trouble breathing they cannot talk in a full sentence
•Has trouble breathing when they lie down or sit still
•Has little energy or is very sleepy
•Stops drinking or is drinking very little
When should I call the doctor? —
Call for advice if:
●Your child has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, and is not acting like themselves.
●Your child has a fever for longer than 3 days.
●Your child has a cold and is younger than 4 months old.
●Your child's cough lasts longer than 2 weeks.
●Your child's runny or stuffy nose lasts longer than 10 days.
●Your child has ear pain, is pulling on their ears, or shows other signs of an ear infection.
●Your child has new or worsening symptoms.
Patient education: Cough, runny nose, and colds (The Basics)
Patient education: The common cold in children (Beyond the Basics)
