Injured children cannot be treated
as small adults. They are distinctive patients, requiring
age-specific expertise and equipment. Children present a
unique challenge in trauma care because they are so different from
adults - anatomically, developmentally, physiologically and
emotionally.1, 7
A study published in early 2006 in
the Journal of Pediatric Surgery concluded that the risk of
death for injured children is significantly lower when care is
provided in pediatric trauma centers rather than in
non-pediatric trauma centers.7
Yet only about 10% of injured
children are treated at pediatric trauma centers. The highest
mortality rates occur in children who are treated in rural areas
without access trauma centers.7
Caring for an injured child requires
special knowledge, precise management and scrupulous attention to
detail. Instituting separate processes, procedures and
requirements specifically for children reflects a growing
realization that pediatric patients are best cared for under a
model designed for the unique needs of children.