Caring For Injured Children

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 08 Apr 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Trauma is the No. 1 cause of death and disability killer for children in the United States. Each year an estimated one in four children sustains an unintentional injury that requires medical care. Therefore, it is important that pre-hospital and hospital-based care providers are trained to meet the unique medical needs of injured children in trauma.

The AAP has issued a new policy statement, " Management of Pediatric Trauma, " that offers guidance on creating an optimal system to care for injured children. It states that the needs of children should be integrated into the emergency and disaster planning of every state and region. Every pediatrician and emergency care professional credentialing and certification body should require practitioners to receive appropriate levels of initial and continuing education to achieve and maintain competency in caring for critically injured children of all ages. The statement also stresses the importance of ongoing injury prevention education.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.

American Academy of Pediatrics