Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Recent News and Announcements

Pediatric Education and Advocacy Kit (PEAK) Releases

Pediatric seizure is one of the most common neurologic emergencies in children. Prolonged seizure (status epilepticus) can be very difficult to manage and can create stress and anxiety not just to the patient family, but also to the healthcare provider. As the goal of seizure management is to stop the seizure as soon as possible, identifying best practices for treatment is important. The following PEAK content is provided to help with managing status epilepticus from prehospital to the hospital environment and highlight available resources for our patients and families with epilepsy.

In the United States, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youths ages 10-18 (CDC NCHS Data Brief, 2019). Increasingly, the emergency care system has become a safety net for treating pediatric mental health issues: from 2007 to 2015, ED visits for suicide attempts and ideation doubled among the nation's youth (JAMA Pediatrics, 2019).

In light of the urgent need to improve pediatric suicide screening and mental health care in emergency settings, we are pleased to share new resources as part of our latest Pediatric Education and Advocacy Kit (PEAK): Suicide.

Safe Transport of Children by EMS: NASEMSO Interim Guidance

The National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO) is committed to advocating for the creation of evidence-based standards for safely transporting children by ambulance. Such standards would ensure a safer environment for the patients who rely on the EMS provider to act on their behalf.

Updated American Academy of Pediatrics Equipment List for Ground Ambulances (2020)

The National Association of EMS Physicians, along with these coauthoring associations: American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, EMS for Children Innovation and Improvement Center, Emergency Nurses Association, and National Association of State EMS Officials have worked to update the previous version of "Recommended Essential Equipment for Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support Ground Ambulances 2014: A Joint Position Statement."

AAP/ACEP/ENA Guidelines on Pediatric Readiness in the Emergency Department (2018)

The AAP, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), published updated joint guidelines in the November 2018 issue of Pediatrics titled, "Pediatric Readiness in the Emergency Department," (PDF) that recommends ways health care providers can make sure every injured or critically ill child receives the best care possible. This is a revision of a 2009 AAP policy statement (Guidelines on Care of Children in Emergency Departments) and highlights recent advances in pediatric emergency care that can be incorporated into all hospital emergency departments that care for children. The statement emphasizes the importance of evidence–based guidelines and includes additional recommendations for quality improvement plans focusing on children and disaster preparedness.

Minimum Standards and Guidance for NYS Hospitals Regarding Pediatric Patients

In 2015, the Minimum Pediatric Care Standards for New York State Hospitals, Emergency Departments and Intensive Care Units Guidance Document and its appendix (PDF), Pediatric Consultation and Interfacility Transfer Guidelines, were developed to assist hospitals with meeting the recently enacted minimum standards for pediatric care under Title 10, Section 405 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. The Guidance Document recapitulates the new pediatric regulations, and provides detailed recommendations from the State EMSC Advisory Committee regarding their implementation. The Appendix contains a wealth of information regarding the need for, process of and conditions that should precipitate consultation with pediatric medical and surgical subspecialists prior to potential transfer, as well as the appropriate procedures for such transfer.