Did you miss CLINCON 2019 a couple weeks ago? Photos are now available! Browse through the pediatric skills workshop
here
and download any photo for free.
Encourage others to sign up for the PEDReady listserve & weekly newsbrief, the PE
2
ARL, by sharing this link:
http://bit.ly/flpearl
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Focus |
Safe EMS Transport of Children
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1. Safe EMS Transport of Children
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Did you know?
Currently, there are no standards or regulations for restraining children in the back of a moving ambulance.
- 4,500 ambulance crashes per year and
- 34% of these crashes resulted in injuries with 33 deaths
Florida’s 2018 Annual EMS Agency Survey estimates that 24% of EMS agencies do not currently have a policy or protocol in place for safe EMS transport of children.
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In 2017, the
National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO)
announced the release of
Safe Transport of Children by EMS: Interim Guidance
.
The guidance was a result of the work of NASEMSO’s Safe Transport of Children Ad Hoc Committee, which focused on establishing evidence-based standards for safely transporting children by ground ambulance. While there are a variety of products available to secure children transported in ambulances, the EMS provider must depend on the manufacturer for determining if the restraint would operate as intended in an ambulance crash.
Unlike child restraints (car seats) used in passenger vehicles, which must meet the crash standards defined by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213, there are
no
required crash-testing standards for these devices in the U.S. Until research/testing can be completed and standards developed, NASEMSO has issued
Interim Guidance
to maximize the safety of children in ambulances.
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Guidance:
1) Evidence-based standards for safely transporting children in ambulances should be developed and published by nationally recognized standards development organizations, such as the Society for Automotive Engineers (SAE);
2) Safe ambulance transport should be considered as a
standard of care
for the EMS system equivalent to maintaining an open airway, adequate ventilation and the maintenance of cardiovascular circulation;
3) There are immediate actions that can be taken to improve pediatric safety. All EMS agencies that transport children should develop specific policies and procedures that address, at minimum, the following elements:
- Methods, training, and equipment to secure children during transport in a way that reduces both forward motion and possible ejection. The primary focus should be to secure the torso and provide support for the head, neck and spine of the child, as indicated by the patient’s condition;
- Considerations for the varied situations that a child who needs transport to a hospital or other point of care may present to the EMS professional. These include, but may not be limited to a child who is:
- uninjured/not ill,
- ill/injured, but requiring no intensive interventions or monitoring,
- requiring intensive interventions or monitoring,
- requiring spinal immobilization or supine transport, and
- multiple patients;
- Prohibits children from being transported unrestrained, e.g. held in arms or lap;
- Provision for securing all equipment during a transport where a child is an occupant of the vehicle, with mounting systems tested in accordance with the requirements of SAE J3043;
- Only use child restraint devices in the position for which they are designed and tested;
4) NASEMSO does not recommend or endorse any particular product.
In June 2019, NASEMSO published a summary guide:
Pediatric Transport Products for Ground Ambulances
.
This document was created for the sole purpose of providing helpful information for EMS services on the products currently available for transporting children in ground ambulances in the US. Information is categorized by manufacturer, device name, product weight, child weight, immobilization capability, installation compatibility, and cleanability.
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Additional Safe Transport Resources:
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Do you have a child transport protocol or story you would like to share? Email us at
pedready@jax.ufl.edu
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PEDReady Champion of the Week
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Thanks to Dr. Laurie Romig for being our Florida EMSC Safe Transport Champion!
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2. Upcoming Pediatric Emergency Conferences
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Symposium by the Sea 2019
August 1-4, 2019 | Boca Raton, FL
Hosted by: Florida College of Emergency Physicians (FCEP)
FCEP's annual meeting & educational conference, Symposium by the Sea, is designed for emergency physicians, residents, students, physician assistants, nurses and allied health professionals interested in emergency care.
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Caring for Critical Kids Conference
August 22-23, 2019 | Gainesville, FL
Hosted by: UF Health ShandsCair
Join UF Health ShandsCair to learn more about caring for children with critical medical and trauma needs. Thursday is lecture day; Friday is skills lab day.
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Children's Disaster Services Workshop
October 11-12, 2019 | Tampa, FL
Hosted by: Child Life Disaster Relief
This is a specialized training for Certified Child Life Professionals only. Certified child life specialists are invited to register. Ten PDU’s are available.
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Pediatric Care After Resuscitation (PCAR) Course
Dec 2-3, 2019 | Jacksonville, FL
The mission of TCAR (Trauma Care After Resuscitation) Education Programs is to expand the knowledge base and clinical reasoning skills of nurses who work with injured patients anywhere along the trauma continuum of care, particularly in the post-resuscitation phase.
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Thanks for being a Pediatric Champion!
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The Florida PEDReady Program
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