Are Emergency Rooms Safe for Children?

Posted on May 08, 2015 by Shapiro Law Group

Every year in the U.S., 30 million children 18 and younger visit the emergency room. Unfortunately, some hospitals still do not have equipment that can safely treat children. Changes have been made to correct this potential hazard, but there is room for further progress.

According to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics, more than 90 percent of emergency departments around the country have staff trained in pediatrics and equipment to treat children. The journal article gave 4,000 emergency departments around the country a median score of 69 percent readiness for treating children, up from 55 percent in 2003.

Does this journal article mean that emergency rooms are equipped to treat children? As it turns out, the authors of the article caution that the review of hospitals likely overestimates readiness. There is no way to verify what hospitals reported while participating in the study.

According to the study, half of the emergency rooms that participated in the survey did not have all of the recommended equipment to treat children. If a child requires a specific tool to be treated during an emergency, half of U.S. hospitals that responded to this study might not have it available.

Should Parents Sue for Medical Negligence?

Shapiro Law Group takes injuries to children seriously because the consequences can last a lifetime. Parents might have options for compensation if their child has been injured by medical negligence. Medical negligence should be fought in the courtroom, and negligent healthcare providers should be held accountable.

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