Children make up around 25 percent of annual emergency department (ED) visits, but only one in five EDs across the United States are ready to handle pediatric cases, according to a new study.
Researchers estimated that more than a quarter of child deaths could be prevented if all EDs in the United States were pediatric-ready.
They also found that the cost of achieving and maintaining a high level of readiness—which means EDs have doctors and nurses trained in pediatric care, have protocols for treating children, and have medication and equipment for children of all ages and sizes—would cost up to $11.84 per child….