Emergency Care in the Pediatric Office

Written By:
Paulette Campbell RN-BC, BSN, MJ
Certified Legal Nurse Consultant

Not often thought of but each year there are quite a few children who require emergent care in the pediatric office. For one, this occurs because those offices are often where parents take sick children. Sometimes the decision between seeking the pediatrician’s office for care and seeking the emergency room is a fine line. Also, parents often feel more comfortable seeking care from their pediatrician because that is the healthcare provider that they are more comfortable with and who knows their child’s medical needs best.

One study that looked into how many pediatrician offices face emergent medical situations found that eight-two percent of respondents noted that their office had at least one emergency medical situation in the past year. Unfortunately, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, too many pediatrician offices are not properly equipped to handle such emergencies. They reported that some offices have stayed away from preparing for emergency medical situations out of a fear of increased liability. Other pediatricians have stated that additional expenses to purchase the equipment and train professionals were their reasons for not providing emergency equipment in their office. Not to mention, the expense involved to maintain the equipment.

Some of the most common pediatric emergencies that happen in the pediatrician’s office include:

• Respiratory emergency
• Seizures
• Infection in young children (may lead to high temperatures which require emergency intervention)
• Dehydration

When reviewing a medical record in which a emergency event happened in the pediatrician’s office, consider the following:

• What training did office staff have? (This should not only include medical assistants, nurses and physicians but also front office staff because they are usually the first to see the patient)
• What practice opportunities did staff have?
• Was a clear emergency response plan in place for the office?

Contact our offices today to learn more about our many medical legal consulting services that can serve you when you are involved in any litigation that has a medical component. Our staff at Medical Jurisprudence, Inc will customize our consulting services to meet your case needs. You can contact us at 630-551-0978 or info@medicaljurisprudece.com.