Researchers estimated that more than a quarter of child deaths could be prevented if all EDs in the United States were pediatric-ready. They also found that the cost of achieving and maintaining a high level of readiness—which means EDs have doctors and nurses trained in pediatric care, have protocols for treating children, and have medication and equipment for children of all ages and sizes—would cost up to $11.84 per child.
“Less than 20 percent of emergency departments across the U.S. are fully ready to care for children.
So ...
in the context of pediatric emergency care in the country, it means that we have a lot of work to do,” Dr. Craig Newgard, lead author and director of the Center for Policy and Research in Emergency Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University, told The Epoch Times in an interview. Only around 17 percent of EDs across the United States were prepared for pediatric emergencies.
The analysis included newborns to children aged 17 who were treated at EDs. Researchers found that every year, EDs receive 669,000 “at-risk” children. These at-risk children are those who need to be transferred to another hospital or die in emergency rooms.
These children can do worse or better depending on how well-staffed and equipped the EDs are. The researchers estimated that at current readiness levels, about 7,600 at-risk children, or about 1 percent, will die during their ED visit. But if all EDs achieved high readiness, 2,100 lives, or more than a quarter,.