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Emergency Care

24/7 emergency and trauma care for children

When a child becomes ill or gets injured, it’s important to get treatment as quickly as possible. Our board-certified pediatric emergency physicians are here for your family 24 hours a day, with a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center for seriously injured patients.
Tacoma General and Mary Bridge Emergency Department

Emergency and trauma services at Mary Bridge Children’s

At Mary Bridge Children’s, our emergency medicine team is trained and experienced in caring for children and understands what kids need most during health-related emergencies. They work as a team with pediatricians, subspecialists, registered nurses and paramedics who are specially trained to provide care for ill and injured infants and children.

Mary Bridge Children’s serves as the state-designated Level II Pediatric Trauma Center for Western Washington to treat severe and life-threatening injuries.

If your child requires inpatient care, our critical care and inpatient physicians are in-house and ready to care for children 24/7.

Conditions & treatments

If you think your child could suffer significant harm or die without prompt attention, seek emergency care — or call 911 — immediately. Getting pediatric emergency care is the right choice for treating conditions such as:

  • A change in mental status (such as confusion)
  • Chest pain
  • Coughing up blood or vomiting up blood
  • Deep cuts or bleeding that will not stop
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Motor vehicle accident or other traumatic injuries
  • Seizures
  • Fever of greater than 103 (rectally) in a neonate less than 3 months old
  • Severe abdominal pain
  • Severe allergic reaction
  • Severe burns
  • Severe skin infection
  • Sudden visual changes
  • Fever in children with a central catheter
  • Fever in children who are immunocompromised
  • Children experiencing significant weight loss
  • High fever with headache or stiff neck
  • Sudden loss of sight, speech or movement
  • Fast heartbeat that does not slow down
  • Fracture with deformity
  • Dehydration
  • Sudden severe headache
  • Persistent dizziness
  • Sudden dizziness, weakness or loss of coordination or balance

Mary Bridge Children's Emergency Department

The emergency department is located at 317 Martin Luther King Jr Way, in Tacoma, WA.
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. For more information, please call 253-403-1400.

What to expect

At Mary Bridge, we understand children have unique needs and are not simply small adults. Our pediatric-trained staff are all committed to easing the stress and anxiety that may come with a visit to the emergency department. We will help make the experience as positive and comforting as possible.

When a child arrives to the emergency department, our nurses assess what type of care they need. If immediate attention is required due to a severe illness or injury, they may be seen ahead of other patients.

From our staff and specialized equipment to operating rooms and imaging technology, everything at Mary Bridge Children’s caters to the needs of children. We specialize in kids.

Emergency stories

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Tacoma General and Mary Bridge Emergency Department
September 2, 2024

What to do if your kid is sick (hint: don’t run to the emergency room)

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