It seems like a no-brainer: If you need to take your child to the emergency room, then they’ll be fully prepared to treat him. However, in most hospitals throughout the nation, the ER either doesn’t have the right equipment to use on children or the right staff to treat them – or a dangerous combination of both. Up to 20 percent of the nation’s ER patients are children, but only 6 percent of emergency departments have the equipment, medications and trained staff that children need, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. It begins when a child enters the ER and is assessed for the severity of his illness or injury, a process called triage. Some hospitals use only medical technicians instead of registered nurses. And when children are admitted and treated, the equipment and medications used may not be right for kids. Different sizes of essential equipment, such as oxygen masks and IV needles, should accommodate children’s smaller stature. Many ERs use adult equipment on kids, a dangerous practice.

The mask should fit snugly over a child’s face to deliver oxygen properly; an adult-sized mask would not. The staff in the ER are capable medical personnel; however, they may not have much pediatric training. In fact, board-certified physicians trained in emergency medicine spend less than 15 percent of their training on children, but 34 percent of their patients are kids. Assess your local ER before you have to bring your child there. Get information about its preparedness from your pediatrician, and if it’s not up to snuff, then start contacting hospital administrators to inquire about their plan of action. As we move into flu season, it’s particularly important for you to know if your hospital’s emergency room is ready.