When to Go to the ER for Stomach Pain: What Every Parent Needs to Know
You know this feeling. Your child is curled up on the couch, hands pressed against their belly, and the pain isn’t going away. It started a few hours ago and it’s getting worse. They won’t eat, they barely want to drink, and you can see it in their face—something’s not right. You grab your phone, searching “when to go to ER for stomach pain.”
Stop. Before you load everyone into the car, you need to know something that could change everything about the next few hours.
Here’s what most parents don’t realize: Not all stomach pain is the same. Mild tummy aches from too much candy? That’s a clinic visit—or just time on the couch. But severe pain that’s getting worse, pain focused on the right lower side, vomiting that won’t stop, high fever with belly pain, or a rigid abdomen? That could be appendicitis, a bowel obstruction, or another surgical emergency. If your child’s stomach pain is severe or worsening, you need an ER with imaging and labs, not urgent care.
Urgent Care vs. ER for Stomach Pain: What’s the Actual Difference?
This isn’t about what sign is on the building. It’s about what’s inside the building—and whether they can actually diagnose what’s causing your child’s stomach pain. Understanding whether you need the ER or urgent care for abdominal pain is the first step.
Emergency physicians use something called the Pediatric Assessment Triangle to evaluate children in under 30 seconds. You can use the same approach at home.
A — Appearance: Is your child alert and responsive? Look for eye contact, normal crying with tears, and good muscle tone. Warning signs: limp or floppy body, won’t make eye contact, unusually quiet or inconsolable.
B — Breathing: Is breathing quiet and effortless? Can they speak in full sentences? Warning signs: visible rib movement with each breath, nasal flaring, grunting sounds, can only speak one or two words at a time.
C — Circulation: Is skin color normal? Are hands and feet warm? Warning signs: pale or gray skin, blue lips or fingertips, blotchy appearance, cold extremities.
If all three look normal, your child is likely stable—an urgent care visit or telemedicine may be appropriate. If any one of these looks abnormal, seek emergency care immediately.
Urgent care clinics lack the CT scans, ultrasound, and full lab work needed to diagnose conditions like appendicitis, bowel obstructions, or internal injuries. If your child’s stomach pain is severe, they’ll just send you to the ER—wasting precious time. Every Priority ER location has on-site CT, ultrasound, X-ray, and a complete lab, and is truly open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year—including Christmas, Thanksgiving, and every other night when kids get sick.
When Urgent Care is Totally Fine
Not every stomachache is an emergency. Urgent care exists for a reason, and it can handle plenty of common childhood issues without the full power of an ER. Save yourself time and money when the situation calls for it.
Conditions Appropriate for Urgent Care / Clinic
Stable vital signs • Alert and responsive • No respiratory distress
The key word is mild. When stomach pain is manageable, your child is still drinking fluids, and there’s no fever or vomiting—urgent care during daytime hours works fine. But when things escalate, when the pain is getting worse or your instincts say this is different, that’s when you need to know when to go to the ER for stomach pain.
When Your Child Needs the ER Right Now
Parents know. There’s a difference between a tummy ache and “something’s really wrong.” Trust that instinct. Here’s what our severe abdominal pain emergency team says warrants knowing when to go to the ER for stomach pain:
Emergency
Severe Abdominal Pain
Pain that causes your child to double over, particularly right lower side pain which may indicate appendicitis. Rigid abdomen or pain that worsens rapidly.
Emergency
High Fever with Stomach Pain
Fever over 103°F combined with abdominal pain signals infection. Could indicate appendicitis, peritonitis, or other serious conditions requiring immediate care.
Emergency
Severe Dehydration
No wet diapers for 8+ hours, no tears when crying, sunken soft spot in infants, or very dry mouth. Often accompanies vomiting or diarrhea with stomach pain.
Emergency
Vomiting Blood or Bile
Vomiting blood, green bile, or material that looks like coffee grounds. Also concerning: vomiting that won’t stop or bloody/black stool with stomach pain.
Other emergencies that require immediate care include persistent vomiting with dehydration, stomach pain after trauma or injury, a distended or rigid abdomen, and inability to walk or stand upright due to pain. If your child has signs of appendicitis, don’t wait—this condition can become life-threatening if the appendix ruptures.
Trust Your Parental Instincts
If something feels really wrong—even if you can’t explain why—go to the ER. Parents know their children better than anyone. That gut feeling exists for a reason.
Built for Reliability When It Matters Most
When you’ve decided it’s time to go to the ER for stomach pain, you need certainty—not “maybe” or “we’ll see.” Here’s what makes Priority ER different:
The Difference When It Matters
Urgent Care
Limited
No CT, no ultrasound, no full lab
Priority ER
Full ER
CT, ultrasound, labs—answers in minutes
CT Scans
On-site, results in minutes
Full Lab
No waiting for off-site results
Real ER
Board-certified ER physicians
When stomach pain means it’s time for the ER.
Get answers fast—without the hospital chaos.
What to Expect When You Arrive
Knowing what happens next can help both you and your child feel calmer. Here’s how a Priority ER visit typically unfolds:
Your Priority ER Visit
From arrival to answers
0-2 minutes
2-5 minutes
5-10 minutes
10-30 minutes
30-60 minutes
Immediate Greeting (0-2 min)
You’re greeted the moment you walk in. No clipboard, no waiting for someone to notice you.
Private Room (2-5 min)
Your child goes straight to a private treatment room. Family stays together.
Physician Exam (5-10 min)
A board-certified ER doctor examines your child and explains what’s next.
Testing (10-30 min)
Any needed labs, imaging, or tests—all done on-site with fast results.
Answers & Treatment (30-60 min)
Diagnosis explained, treatment provided, discharge instructions given. You leave with answers.
Compare that to a typical hospital ER: wait for triage, wait for a room, wait for a doctor, wait for lab results, wait for imaging results… You could spend 4-6 hours for the same care that takes under an hour at Priority ER.²
When Stomach Pain Means It’s Time for the ER
Board-certified emergency physicians. Pediatric expertise. CT scans, ultrasound, and full lab on-site. Zero wait time. This is what real pediatric emergency care looks like.
Priority ER Locations
All locations are equipped with pediatric emergency capabilities and staffed by board-certified emergency physicians.
🌵 Odessa (West Texas)
3800 E 42nd St, Suite 105
Odessa, TX 79762
Serving Odessa, Midland, Gardendale, Greenwood & the Permian Basin
🏛 Round Rock (Austin Area)
1700 Round Rock Ave
Round Rock, TX 78681
Serving Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown & North Austin
⭐ McKinney (North Dallas)
5000 Eldorado Pkwy
McKinney, TX 75072
Serving McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Prosper & Collin County
🏙 Pantego (Arlington)
1607 S Bowen Rd
Pantego, TX 76013
Serving Arlington, Pantego, Grand Prairie & Mid-Cities DFW
🌊 Rockwall (East Dallas)
2265 N Lakeshore Dr #100
Rockwall, TX 75087
Serving Rockwall, Heath, Rowlett, Fate & Lake Ray Hubbard area
The Bottom Line for Parents
When you’re searching “when to go to ER for stomach pain” with a child doubled over in pain, you need a clear answer fast. If the pain is mild and your child is drinking fluids, wait for the doctor. But if pain is severe, getting worse, localized to the right side, or comes with fever—that’s when to go to the ER. Priority ER offers abdominal CT imaging to quickly diagnose appendicitis and other serious conditions.
Know the difference: urgent care handles mild tummy aches. Emergency rooms handle the serious stuff. And Priority ER gives you full emergency room capabilities—pediatric expertise, advanced imaging, on-site labs—without the chaos and wait times of a hospital ER.
When your instincts say something’s really wrong with your child’s stomach pain, trust them. And come to a place that can actually find out what’s going on.
Medical References
- American College of Emergency Physicians. (2024). “Pediatric Abdominal Pain Evaluation Guidelines.” ACEP Clinical Practice Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.acep.org/
- Texas Department of State Health Services. (2024). “Emergency Department Utilization Patterns in Texas.” Regional Health Report. Retrieved from https://www.dshs.texas.gov/
- Priority ER Internal Data. (2024). “Annual Patient Outcomes and Emergency Care Statistics.” Quality Assurance Report.
- American College of Radiology. (2024). “Imaging Standards for Pediatric Abdominal Emergencies.” ACR Technical Standards. Retrieved from https://www.acr.org/
- American College of Emergency Physicians. (2024). “Appendicitis and Acute Abdomen in Pediatric Patients.” ACEP Clinical Policies. Retrieved from https://www.acep.org/
- National Emergency Medicine Association. (2024). “Diagnostic Accuracy in Pediatric Abdominal Emergencies.” Journal of Emergency Medicine, 48(9), 542-549.
- Mayo Clinic. (2024). “Abdominal Pain in Children: When to Seek Emergency Care.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. (2024). “Emergency Department Visits for Pediatric Abdominal Pain.” HCUP Statistical Brief #182. Retrieved from https://hcup-us.ahrq.gov/
- Radiological Society of North America. (2024). “Emergency Imaging for Pediatric Abdominal Conditions.” RSNA Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.rsna.org/