Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2003
ReviewPediatric triage: a 2-tier, 5-level system in the United States.
Emergency care continues to be a challenge for the pediatric population. Pediatric emergency department (ED) visits have escalated to over 12.5 million/y. To provide quality care, the provider must strive to meet ED efficiency, patient safety, and federal regulations. ⋯ International healthcare systems in Canada and Australia have designed national triage systems to address the needs of patient acuity, improve patient safety, and enhance customer satisfaction. The United States continues to have various triage systems that include 3-level, 4-level, and 5-level systems in a variety of ED settings. This paper describes a pediatric triage system in the United States with a 2-tier process for high volume and 5 levels of acuity for time to treatment with over 30,000 ED visits per year.
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2003
ReviewProcedural sedation for children with special health care needs.
Children with special health care needs represent a growing percentage of pediatric patients treated in all emergency departments. Substantial literature exists concerning the medical treatment of these patients, but there is little written describing the management of procedural sedation or analgesia in this population. This article examines the unique anatomic and physiologic implications of procedural sedation or analgesia management in children with special health care needs.
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Pediatric emergency care · Aug 2003
Comparative StudyDetecting fever in young infants: reliability of perceived, pacifier, and temporal artery temperatures in infants younger than 3 months of age.
Fever in young infants frequently triggers a laboratory evaluation because of the increased likelihood of serious bacterial infections. Reported fever by methods other than rectal thermometry is of concern. This study evaluates the validity of perceived, pacifier, and temporal artery (TA) temperatures. ⋯ Rectal thermometry must remain the standard for infants younger than 3 months of age.