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Health and Wellness Magazine • 45 Trained For kids If junior gashed his head open falling down the stairs, the staff wouldn't just hold him down, wash it off, and stitch him up. "We make the effort to have the emergency department experience as painless as possible," says RMHC pediatric emergency specialist Dr. Christine Darr. "We have distraction toys while doing procedures. We have nitrous oxide to lower anxiety and numbing agents for all procedures, from placing IV's to doing spinal taps." Having a compassionate staff that enjoys children and understands how to communicate with them at the different age levels doesn't just make a difference in their comfort. It helps with treatment and diagnosis. "A lot of children are non-verbal or have difficulty explaining their symptoms," Darr says. Knowing signs — such as a toddler's grunting, which can signal organ damage — can hasten life- saving treatment. "That's a major skill, to identify whether that child is seriously ill or not." Pediatric personnel also know what, and how, illnesses affect children. One example: A virus called RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) that generally causes common colds in adults can lead to life-threatening infections in kids, hospitalizing more than 100,000 infants a year. And treatments, even with the same disease, can differ dramatically. For instance, insulin and IV fluids, which are used to treat adult and pediatric patients with diabetes, are administered very differently in children and adults. equiPPed For ToTs Although the gap is closing, adult ER's often lack pediatric equipment, with only 6 percent having the supplies necessary for handling pediatric emergencies, according to a 2006 Institute of Medicine report. Having the right equipment, and the knowledge of when to use it, can save lives, Darr says. If a pediatric nurse were having trouble starting an IV in a critical patient, for instance, an IO (intraosseous infusion) needle, which is inserted into a child's bone to rapidly supply IV solutions to marrow, would be used. "It's important to think of that rather than just persevering, trying to get that needle in, and losing valuable time," Darr says. "Children can compensate for a serious illness very well up to a point, and then they can quickly decompensate and can go into shock, which is life-threatening." HealthONE pediatric personnel are also highly trained on medication dosing (and have a computerized safety program in place), which can stray widely from adult dosing. In adult ER care, dosing is generally standard. In pediatric care, it is weight-based and requires conversion, Fluta says. "Also, pediatric dosing is ordered in milligrams, but if it is a liquid, it is delivered in milliliters. So there's a lot of room for errors," she says. Grandparents should know to dial 9-1-1 and seek the nearest hospital in an emergency. But if the situation allowed, Fluta would take her own children to a pediatric ER, she says. "You are going to have dedicated people who are comfortable assessing pediatric patients who understand what to expect and what to look for and who are current in their practice," she says. "And you are also going to have that level of compassion and understanding. That's all important." CALL uS ToDAy 303.575.0055 Are you or a loved one in need of a doctor? We're here to help. A HealthoNE representative can answer your questions and help you find the right physician, close to home. did you knoW? grandparents should always have a signed letter from parents saying they can approve emergency care for their grandchildren. 7.1 million The number of grandparents whose grandchildren under 18 years old were living with them in 2012. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey HealthONE Hospitals Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children Free-Standing Emergency Department Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center & Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children Rose Medical Center The Medical Center of Aurora Centennial Medical Plaza Swedish Medical Center Swedish Southwest ER Sky Ridge Medical Center North Suburban Northeast ER 128 AVE. 104 AVE. North Suburban Medical Center Saddle Rock ER