More Work Needed to Ensure US Hospitals Equipped and Staffed to Handle Pediatric Emergency Patients

Although the majority of children who need emergency medical care are brought to hospitals that have appropriate emergency care specialists and equipment, a significant number are treated at facilities that lack the recommended pediatric equipment and a fully-trained staff, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Children account for about 30 million visits a year to hospital emergency departments. “We are pleased to find that the hospitals that see the majority of these young patients are the best prepared, but we also believe other hospitals would benefit from strengthening their capacity,” said Kimberly Middleton, a health scientist at CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics and the report’s lead author.

The survey, conducted in 2002-03, found the vast majority of children who need emergency care are brought to hospitals that see more than 10,000 pediatric patients each year. The survey found that these larger hospitals are more likely to have a pediatric ward, a pediatric intensive care unit and are also more likely to have a board-certified pediatric emergency physician on staff. Read more at cdc.gov

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	Did You Know?
	When Treating a Cold extra fluids are recommended Since it is caused by a virus, antibiotics do not work against the common cold. Extra fluids, a cool mist humidifier, and rest will likely help with some of his symptoms. Younger children, since they can't blow their nose, may benefit from using saline nasal drops and a bulb syringe to help keep their nasal passages clear.