Have been surfing and can't seem to find clinic or hospital information. Flying into Milan in May and driving to Florence, Rome, Venice, etc. over 14 days. I will be 5-1/2 months pregnant and my now 18 month old toddler is on nebulizer treatment for asthma. Want to have papers in hand before we go of where hospitals are, especially pediatric and women's, in case of emergency. Thank you!

I think the hospitals in Spain are mucho better.

You might check with the Italian Embassy (or even the American Embassy) for suggestions. <BR>I'd also ask your doctor for advise! If he/she doesn't know where to refer you to, I'd get another doctor. <BR> <BR>Alright, maybe not the same, but along with the necessary legal documents, I took copies of my cat's health records (she has had some eye problems, etc in the past...) just in case, when we moved to Portugal for a year. <BR> <BR>If you can, you might want written info/records from your doctor translated into Italian and notorized, if they're vital to some major health concerns... <BR> <BR>Congrats on your baby!

P.S. <BR>You might also want to check with your medical insurance agency to see what or if there are restrictions on coverage, etc...

I was in Rome with a friend a few years ago. She fell and cut her hand and thought some dirt might have gotten in the cut. She wanted to have it looked at and cleaned out just in case. We asked a poiceman where the nearest hospital was. He directed us to an emergency room nearby. They took care of my friend immediately. They cleaned out the cut and gave her a tetanus(sp?) shot. Did not even ask for ID or anything and did not charge a dime. They were all very nice, there was no problem at all. I still would want to get answers to your questions but from this experience, if in need, go to the nearest emergency room and they will take good care of you.

Please don't bite my head off, but I'm curious why you are going to Europe in the first place at this time. It would seem to me that being 5 1/2 months pregnant and having an asthmatic 18-month-old child who's on a nebulizer are two factors that sure as heck would discourage me from going to Europe for two weeks! You obviously have some apprehension since you have made this posting on the forum!

Would it not be possible for you to change from a nebulizer for your son to a normal inhaler with a large plastic spacer device. It would take up less room (presuming US nebulizers are as large and bulky as UK ones), also no electrics to have to deal with. Plus inhalers with spacers are easy to use, take less time to deliver the medicine and research shows that they deliver the medicine more efficiently as the particles in the inhaler are smaller than from the nebulizer so reach further down into the small airways of the lung.

On the upside: 2 summers ago I had to go to an emergency clinic in the Dolomites after a mountain biking accident and received prompt care. the next week I went to a clinic in Tuscany to have the stitches taken out. Very friendly staff and professional in both instances. And like a previous poster, they did not even take my name (apparantly they didn't want to mess with the paper work it would involve treating a foreigner in their socialized system, they took me outside in the ambulance in Tuscany!) <BR> <BR>On the Downside. Do you live in a large city where your son is used to big city pollution? I say this because Florence and Rome can be incredibly bad with all the mopeds and diesel vehicles driving around. Even the day after a very rainy day I got sick on a day trip into Florence from all the fumes. Maybe you should think about limiting your time in the major cities and stick to the countryside for your son's sake?

Message: Would it not be possible for you to change from a nebulizer for your son to a normal inhaler with a large plastic spacer device. It would take up less room (presuming US nebulizers are as large and bulky as UK ones), also no electrics to have to deal with. Plus inhalers with spacers are easy to use, take less time to deliver the medicine and research shows that they deliver the medicine more efficiently as the particles in the inhaler are smaller than from the nebulizer so reach further down into the small airways of the lung. Also it would be easier for you to carry around with you when going out in case you needed to give him his bronchodilator while out and about. <BR>I am sure you must have already discussed with your Doctor the health implications of travelling to Europe with a young child on regular nebulizers? <BR> <BR> <BR>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <BR> <BR> <BR>