Boardash: Most U.S. ERs not fully equipped for kids

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Most U.S. ERs not fully equipped for kids

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Tuesday October 20, 2009

Most U.S. ERs not fully equipped for kids
H1N1 virus potentially deadly for minority
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Most U.S. ERs not fully equipped for kids

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Ninety-four percent of U.S. hospital emergency rooms are not equipped to care for children, which does not bode well as H1N1 flu spreads, pediatric experts say.

In a joint policy statement published in the journal Pediatrics, "Guidelines for Care of Children in the Emergency Department," pediatric emergency medicine specialists and others provide recommendations for appropriate equipment, training, medications and policies for pediatric emergency care.

"Children account for 20 percent of all emergency department visits, yet most hospitals are unprepared to provide appropriate care," Dr. Joseph L. Wright, senior vice president of the Child Health Advocacy Institute at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, said in a statement.

"The potential widespread impact of the novel H1N1 strain of influenza underscores the urgency to ensure that our kids receive the best care when they come to their community hospital's emergency department."

Examples of appropriate care can include the size of equipment, such as tubes for intubation and ready access to specialists like pediatric anesthesiologists, Wright says.

"The existence of specific policies and procedures to address the needs of children and families, particularly in times of surge, are also critically important," the policy statement said.

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H1N1 virus potentially deadly for minority

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- A minority of H1N1 patients rapidly develop life-threatening pneumonia, while the majority recover within a week, health experts meeting in Washington said.

More than 100 clinicians and scientists from around the world met for three days this week to compare information on the second wave of this year's pandemic virus, once called the swine flu, the World Health Organization said Friday.

The majority of H1N1 patients recovered within a week without medical treatment, while a minority developed severe pneumonia often associated with organ failure or advanced asthma, WHO officials said. Those patients were likely to place the heaviest burden on emergency rooms and intensive care units, said Nikki Shindo, a WHO medical officer.

"We can expect more severe disease during the upcoming influenza season," Shindo told The Washington Post Friday.

The risk of severe or fatal illness is highest among pregnant women, especially during the third trimester, children younger than 2 years of age, and people with chronic lung disease, including asthma, she said.

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