Nearly all emergency rooms in the United States are not fully prepared to provide emergency care for kids, a new analysis found.
A national group of researchers analyzed nationally representative data from 747 emergency departments in 11 states. The researchers also analyzed the outcomes for a variety of pediatric emergency cases and compared them with the expected outcomes if they received treatment in better-prepared hospitals. They then developed a model to project the benefits, costs, and risks of greater readiness in US emergency rooms.
The analysis notes that emergency rooms would need to have "key pediatric equipment and supplies," adequate training, policies, and personnel to provide quality children's emergencies.
What Are the Findings?
Researchers found that nearly 8 in 10 emergency rooms in the US lacked the supplies and training needed to adequately treat children.
The study authors noted that hospitals investing in pediatric readiness would reduce mortality rates by 33.47 deaths per 100,000 children. Investments in pediatric readiness would also help boost the life expectancy of children and improve their lives.
Read more: Husband Pulls Over After Feeling Baby’s Head As Wife Starts Giving Birth in the Middle of Traffic
"Achieving and maintaining high pediatric readiness for all EDs in the US could save the lives of thousands of children each year, at an annual cost of approximately $260 million," the researchers wrote.
The study further noted that pediatric readiness would be more cost-effective in saving the lives of children than providing other types of interventions, including routine vaccinations against hepatitis A and hepatoblastoma screening for kids with extremely low weight at birth.
How Many Children Are Sent to the ER Annually?
Children and teens make up roughly 20% of all emergency room visits in the US annually, according to data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
In 2015, at least 17% of all children and teens in the US visited the emergency room at least once, the agency noted. A large share of those emergency room visits were made up of injuries, poisoning, and respiratory disorders.
As of 2024, Boston Children's Hospital was named the best children's hospital in the US, per the most recent rankings from US News & World Report.
