Evaluating pediatric readiness in EDs

Does your emergency department (ED) have the fundamental requirements needed to evaluate, stabilize, and treat a child in an emergency? EDs can evaluate their pediatric readiness in three easy steps:

1. Take the National Pediatric Readiness Project open assessment at PedsReady.org, available outside of the national assessment period for ED’s internal use.
2. Print or save the gap report summary that appears on the screen.
3. Use the report to identify gaps and work with your ED toward improvement.

The gap report summary is accepted for American College of Surgeons Trauma Center Verification where applicable. If you have questions about the assessment or would like more information, email PedsReady@hsc.utah.edu or visit PediatricReadiness.org.

Featured resource:

EIIC is excited to announce a new pediatric education and advocacy kit (PEAK). PEAK: Child Abuse will help hospital and prehospital practitioners, in partnership with patients and families, identify and manage children with suspected physical abuse. PEAK: Child Abuse features pragmatic, synthesized, and multidisciplinary resources, including new bottom-line recommendations, a simulation kit, podcasts, a learning module, and more. All resources are free and open access.

Resources round-up:

Condition-specific resources:

• AAP: Supporting the Family After the Death of a Child or Adolescent
• AAP: Reflections on COVID-19: Living and Learning in a Pandemic
• EMSC: SAVE-PEDS pediatric resuscitation course (log-in required)
• WRAP-EM: Pediatric Surge Playbook

EMSC grantee resources:

• UPDATED: EMSC Performance Measures manual
• EMSC Program two-page overview
• EMSC Hospital Recognition program webpage
• Pediatric readiness FAQs for EDs
• HRSA: EMSC Town Hall Recording

Other resources:

• PPN: Mental Health Resources in Response to Armed Conflict
• PPN: Resource Central

Upcoming events, conferences, deadlines:

• ACS Trauma Quality Improvement Program conference - Dec. 1-3
• AAP Council on Children and Disasters Special Interest Group: Hospital Director Disaster Management - Dec. 5 12 pm CT
• Pediatric Pandemic Network Town Hall - Dec. 5 2pm ET
• Federal Interagency Committee on EMS Virtual Meeting - Dec. 6 1pm ET
• AAP Practical Applications of Generative AI for Pediatricians and Pediatric Specialists webinar - Dec. 12 and Jan. 11
• NAEMSP Annual Meeting - Jan. 8-13
• ACEP/EMBC Independent EM Group Master Class - Feb. 6-8
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Conference - March 13-16
• National Association of County and City Health Officials 2024 Preparedness Summit - March 25-28
• Pediatric Academic Societies 2024 - May 2-6
• NASEMSO Annual Meeting 2024 - May 12-16

Other opportunities:

• The AAP Board of Directors is soliciting nominations from members of the Council on Children and Disasters to fill member vacancies for terms beginning July 1, 2024. Please refer to the statement of needs and application materials under “Committee Member Vacancies” on AAP.org. Deadline for nominations is Feb. 16.
• Request for Information: HHS Initiative to Enhance National All Hazards Hospital Situational Awareness
• EMSC has launched its first pediatric emergency care coordinator (PECC) learning module: you are invited to view the module and provide feedback.

Research Highlights:

• Rehydration Rates and Outcomes in Overweight Children With Diabetic Ketoacidosis - AAP, Nov. 3*
• Pediatric Firearm Injury Emergency Department Visits From 2017 to 2022: A Multicenter Study - AAP, Nov. 6*
• Characteristics of Pediatric Behavioral Health Emergencies in the Prehospital Setting - Wiley Online Library, Nov. 10*
• Research Priorities for Pediatric Emergency Care to Address Disparities by Race, Ethnicity, and Language - JAMA Network Open, Nov. 13*
• Race, Ethnicity, Language, and the Treatment of Low-Risk Febrile Infants - JAMA Pediatrics, Nov. 13
• Setting an agenda for a national pediatric trauma system: Operationalization of the Pediatric Trauma State Assessment Score - J Trauma Acute Care Surg, Nov.16*
• Evaluation of Pediatric Readiness Using Simulation in General Emergency Departments in a Medically Underserved Region - Pediatr Emerg Care, Nov. 17*

Headline Highlights:

• The Youth Mental Health Emergency Isn’t Over. Government Must Act Now. - US News, Oct. 19
• CCH EMS receives new, state-funded sensory kits following push from local nonprofit - County 17, Oct. 25*
• There’s a Shortage of RSV Treatments. Here’s What Doctors Recommend- TIME, Nov. 2
• Child Deaths From Guns After Arrival In Pediatric ERs Doubled In Pandemic - Forbes, Nov. 6* (also covered in TIME magazine and CNN)
• Utah paramedic uses personal experience to create autism kits for ambulances - EMS1, Nov. 11*
• ​​More than 1 in 10 pediatric ambulance runs are for mental health emergencies, finds study - MedicalXpress, Nov. 16*
• Why So Many Emergency Rooms Are Failing Kids in America - Wall Street Journal podcast, Nov. 17*

Articles with an asterisk (*) reference work related to EMSC and its grantees