Pediatric protocols you’ll need
Policies, procedures, and protocols for emergency care of children are developed and implemented; staff should be educated accordingly; and they should be monitored for compliance and periodically updated. These should include, but are not limited to, the following. (Items 3 through 12 indicate policies, procedures, and protocols that may be integrated into ED policies and procedures with pediatric-specific components).
1. Child maltreatment (physical and sexual abuse, sexual assault, and neglect)
2. Consent (including situations in which a parent is not immediately available)
3. Death in the ED
4. Do-not-resuscitate orders
5. Illness and injury triage
6. Sedation and analgesia
7. Immunization status
8. Mental health emergencies
9. Physical or chemical restraint of patients
10. Family issues, including:
a. education of the patient, family, and regular caregivers
b.discharge planning and instruction
c. family presence during care
11. Communication with patient’s primary health care provider
12. Transfers necessary for definitive care, according to the following guidelines:
a. Transfer policies or procedures should include access to consultation (telephone or telemedicine), transfer guidelines, interfacility transfer agreements, and a plan for return of the child back to his/her community as appropriate.
b. Transferring facility must ensure that the patient is stabilized before transport.
c. Transferring facility must transfer only patients who need a higher level of care, as per the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA).
Hospitals may wish to adopt currently available clinical guidelines and protocols or develop their own.
Source: American College of Emergency Physicians, Dallas, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, Elmhurst, IL. Excerpt of Care of Children in the Emergency Department: Guidelines for Preparedness.
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