But no matter your ailment, how can you get in and out as quickly as possible?

•For starters, assess whether you really need to take your child to the ER, says Natterson. "If you aren't sure, you could always call your pediatrician to run the symptoms by her. Or, head to the ER anyway and call your M.D. on the way."

•As for the wait, sure, you can't exactly choose when injuries occur. But if you can, try not to go at 7 p.m. "This is the busiest hour in the emergency room," says Natterson. "Most doctor's offices have closed for the day so if something happens, people head straight to the ER." What's more, she adds, most accidents occur around bedtime when kids are energized, but are also tired and clumsy.

•Unfortunately, there are no magic tricks to convince the nurses to get your kid seen faster. If a child needs immediate attention, it will be obvious to the staff who to prioritize (but it's usually first come, first serve).

•How do you choose between urgent care and emergency room for your child? "Urgent care is for non-life threatening and non-surgical problems such as ear pain, sore throat, and pain with urination. The ER is for serious problems that may require surgery such as severe abdominal pain, a rapidly spreading infection or immediate medical intervention, like difficulty breathing or dehydration.

•If your child is in pain, you may panic and be tempted to call an ambulance--but is this always smart? "The rule of thumb is, if you don't feel safe leaving your child for a few minutes to call the doctor, or if you don't think you can transport your kid safely, an ambulance is safer. And when in doubt, always call 911. Paramedics are trained to determine whether your child really needs to go to the hospital."