COVID-19 Testing at Children's Mercy

Children having anesthesia at Children’s Mercy for either a surgery or procedures may be required to have COVID-19 PCR testing prior to anesthesia.

If your child requires testing for their surgery or procedure, a nurse from the surgery or radiology department will contact you to arrange this. Requirements for testing are based upon current infection rates in the community and are updated frequently for the safety of our patients, families and health care team members.

For more information, use these links:

• A Guide to Surgery

Children's Mercy only accepts documented PCR COVID-19 test results. Home testing results are not accepted.

If the COVID-19 test was performed somewhere other than Children's Mercy, you must provide a document of proof of the results by 5 p.m. the business day before surgery (Monday surgeries need proof of results by 5 p.m. the Friday before).

If we do not have PCR COVID-19 test results the business day before the procedure, the procedure will likely be cancelled.

While waiting for the results, please follow the below instructions:

• Call your child’s primary care provider with any concerns about your child’s symptoms or health.
• Keep your child at home at all times. Do not take them to school, daycare, outside events or other homes.
• Limit visitors to your home. This is very important to help prevent spread of disease until you get a negative test.
• Practice good hand washing. Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your
  eyes, nose and mouth.
• Clean all “high touch” surfaces every day. This includes bathroom fixtures, doorknobs, phones, keyboards and bedside tables. Use a household cleaning spray or wipe according to label instructions.
• Avoid sharing utensils, foods and drinks.
• Have children two years of age and older and their close contacts wear a mask, this will help to prevent spread of the illness.
• If you or anyone else in your home has cough, fever, or shortness of breath, please call your health care provider.
• Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Motrin (ibuprofen) should be used for fever control.

Important: If your child is waiting for COVID-19 test results or tests positive for COVID-19 and has an in-person appointment scheduled with any health care provider, please call that provider to determine whether the appointment needs to be rescheduled.

Please use the resources below for testing options:

• Missouri
  Comprehensive listing with more than 20 testing options: KCMO.gov
  
  
• Kansas
  Map of testing sites by location: knowbeforeyougoks.com
  
  
• Additional testing information can be found by following @kcvaccinewatch on Twitter. As spots open at locations, they will tweet out updates.