Emergency departments each year care for 30 million ill and injured children. They are staffed and equipped to provide lifesaving emergency care to these children. Emergency medicine residency programs provide comprehensive training in the care of children in emergency situations. Parents should talk with their child's pediatrician or family physician to develop an emergency plan and be familiar with their nearest local emergency departments. The most important thing parents can do to protect the health of their children is to practice injury prevention.
Preventable injuries are the leading cause of childhood death and permanent injury.
A. More than 30 million children receive acute and life-saving care in the nation's emergency departments each year. Today, emergency departments are staffed by career emergency specialists trained to provide the highest levels of care to patients of all ages. Emergency medicine residency programs provide comprehensive training in the care of children in emergency situations. Residents generally receive 4 to 6 months of training in emergency care of children. Additionally, during the second and third year of their residencies, they spend 6 months in emergency departments under the supervision of attending emergency physicians.