When it comes to taking a child to the emergency room, the situation can be quite daunting. According to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal, many hospitals are ill-equipped to provide proper treatment for children. The investigation revealed that only 14% of hospital emergency departments are certified or designated as children’s hospitals. This poses several challenges for young patients, including a lack of appropriately sized equipment and doctors with less experience in diagnosing symptoms in children and determining appropriate medication dosages. The Journal acknowledges that improving hospital readiness to treat children is a recognized issue among healthcare professionals, but progress has been slow, potentially resulting in deadly consequences.
A study published in JAMA Network Open found that over a five-year period (2012-2017), approximately 1,440 children died due to the lack of pediatric preparedness in emergency rooms. Additionally, the Journal highlights a 2019 study showing that children treated in emergency rooms without appropriate pediatric readiness are four times more likely to die compared to those treated in highly rated facilities. Dr. Katherine Remick, co-director of a federally funded emergency services group, stated, “Our emergency care systems were never designed with children in mind.” However, there are manageable steps hospitals can take to improve the situation, such as assigning a dedicated staff member to oversee improvements, providing training for doctors and nurses, and ensuring the availability of necessary equipment and supplies for treating children.
Dr. Jeremy Kahn, an author of the 2019 study, emphasized the importance of hospital readiness in preventing child deaths, stating, “Pediatric care requires specialized equipment, training, and protocols to provide the best care to children.” However, he acknowledged that obtaining such preparedness can be costly and time-consuming. On the other hand, some doctors disagree with the Journal’s report. Dr. Chris DeRienzo, chief physician executive for the American Hospital Association, responded in a blog post by stating, “Implying that hundreds of thousands of health care professionals working in our EDs—many of them parents themselves—don’t care about treating kids is just wrong. Even worse, arguing they don’t prioritize that care because treating children makes less money is insulting.” The Journal did acknowledge that adults are higher revenue-generating patients, which can result in hospitals losing money when treating children. (Read more hospital stories.)
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
