Pediatrics
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Practice Guideline
Preparation for emergencies in the offices of pediatricians and pediatric primary care providers.
High-quality pediatric emergency care can be provided only through the collaborative efforts of many health care professionals and child advocates working together throughout a continuum of care that extends from prevention and the medical home to prehospital care, to emergency department stabilization, to critical care and rehabilitation, and finally to a return to care in the medical home. At times, the office of the pediatric primary care provider will serve as the entry site into the emergency care system, which comprises out-of-hospital emergency medical services personnel, emergency department nurses and physicians, and other emergency and critical care providers. ⋯ Parent education regarding prevention, recognition, and response to emergencies, patient triage, early recognition and stabilization of pediatric emergencies in the office, and timely transfer to an appropriate facility for definitive care are important responsibilities of every pediatric primary care provider. In addition, pediatric primary care providers can collaborate with out-of-hospital and hospital-based providers and advocate for the best-quality emergency care for their patients.
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The goals were to describe the epidemiological features of pediatric nonautomobile motorized vehicle-related injuries sustained between 1990 and 2003 and to compare all-terrain vehicle-related injuries with other types of nonautomobile motorized vehicle-related injuries. ⋯ Although most public health and legislative attention to date has been focused on all-terrain vehicles, parents, children, and public officials should be educated about the injury risk that all types of nonautomobile motorized vehicles pose to children.
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Our goals were to examine malpractice claims data that are specific to the specialty of pediatrics and to provide a better understanding of the effect that malpractice has on this specialty. ⋯ Malpractice is a serious issue. Some will read the results of this analysis and draw comfort; others will view the same data with alarm and surprise. Regardless of how one interprets these findings, they are important in truly informing the debate with generalizable facts.