Abstract
Purpose of Review
The purpose of this review is to determine how to make the most efficient use of pediatric care resources during a disaster in the hope of minimizing the potential impact of a disaster on the pediatric population.
Recent Findings
Children are known to be especially vulnerable to a disaster because of physiologic, psychologic, and developmental differences from adults. This is further complicated by the fact that most planners do not account for these differences when managing an event.
Summary
Disaster response involves coordinating resources on many levels, from what is available to care for children in the home, the help a local hospital can provide, and the organization of assets across the community. The best way to respond to a disaster is to prepare before it happens, and pediatric providers have the ability to assist in the planning and response at each of these levels.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance
Cicero MX, Baum CR. Pediatric disaster preparedness: best planning for the worst-case scenario. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2008;24:478–81.
Kaji A, Koenig KL, Bey T. Surge capacity for healthcare systems: a conceptual framework. Acad Emerg Med. 2006;13:1157–9.
Berman S. Pediatrics in disasters (PEDS): a course of the program helping the children. Am Acad Pediatr. 2009;
• Disaster Preparedness Advisory Council and Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Ensuring the health of children in disasters. Pediatrics. 2015;136:e1407–17. Statement from the AAP committee on disaster preparedness. Good overview for all pediatricians.
Sakashita K, Matthews WJ, Yamamoto LG. Disaster preparedness for technology and electricity-dependent children and youth with special health care needs. Clin Pediatr. 2013;52:549–56.
Johnston C, Redlener I. Critical concepts for children in disasters identified by hands-on professionals: summary of issues demanding solutions before the next one. Pediatrics. 2006;117:S458–60.
Barfield WD, et al. Neonatal and pediatric regionalized systems in pediatric emergency mass critical care. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2011;12:S128–34.
Murray JS. Disaster preparedness for children with special healthcare needs and disabilities. J Specialists Pediatr Nurs. 2011;16:226–32.
Baker LR, Cormier LA. Disaster preparedness and families of children with special needs: a geographic comparison. J Community Health. 2013;38:106–12.
Redlener I, Berman DA. National preparedness planning: the historical context and current state of the U.S. public’s readiness, 1940-2005. J Int Aff. 2006;59:87–103.
Baker LR, Baker MD. Disaster preparedness among families of children with special health care needs. Disaster med public health prep. 2010;4:240–5.
Baker MD, Baker LR, Flagg LA. Preparing families of children with special health care needs for disasters: an educational intervention. Soc Work Health Care. 2012;51:417–29.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Council on Clinical Information Technology, American College of Emergency Physicians & Pediatric Emergency Medicine Committee. Emergency information forms and emergency preparedness for children with special health care needs. Pediatrics. 2010;125:829–37.
• Sterni LM, et al. An official American Thoracic Society clinical practice guideline: pediatric chronic home invasive ventilation. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2016;193:e16–35. Guidelines for planning for discharge of patients on home ventilators. Includes recommendations for handling emergencies.
Sprung CL, et al. Recommendations for intensive care unit and hospital preparations for an influenza epidemic or mass disaster: summary report of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine’s Task Force for intensive care unit triage during an influenza epidemic or mass disaster. Intensive Care Med. 2010;36:428–43.
Frogel M, et al. Utilizing a pediatric disaster coalition model to increase pediatric critical care surge capacity in New York City. Disaster Med Publ Health Prep. 2017;11:473–8.
Farmer JC, Carlton PK. Providing critical care during a disaster: the interface between disaster response agencies and hospitals. Crit Care Med. 2006;34:S56–9.
Nakayama T, et al. Effect of a blackout in pediatric patients with home medical devices during the 2011 eastern Japan earthquake. Brain and Development. 2014;36:143–7.
Prezant DJ, et al. Effects of the August 2003 blackout on the New York City healthcare delivery system: a lesson for disaster preparedness. Crit Care Med. 2005;33:S96–S101.
Kanter RK. Strategies to improve pediatric disaster surge response: potential mortality reduction and tradeoffs. Crit Care Medi. 2007;35:2837–42.
Davis DP, et al. Hospital bed surge capacity in the event of a mass-casualty incident. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2005;20:169–76.
Kelen GD, et al. Effect of reverse triage on creation of surge capacity in a pediatric hospital. JAMA Pediatr. 2017;171:e164829.
Nadeau NL, Cicero MX. Pediatric disaster triage system utilization across the United States. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2017;33:152–5.
Powell T, et al. Emergency preparedness and public health: the lessons of hurricane Sandy. JAMA. 2012;308:2569–70.
Rozenfeld RA, Reynolds SL, Ewing S, Crulcich MM, Stephenson M. Development of an evacuation tool to facilitate disaster preparedness: use in a planned evacuation to support a hospital move. Disaster Med Publ Health Prep. 2017;11:479–86.
• King MA, et al. Evacuation of the ICU: care of the critically ill and injured during pandemics and disasters: CHEST consensus statement. CHEST J. 2014;146:e44S–60S. Part of a large, multi-part consensus statement. Very comprehensive recommendations and includes some pediatric information.
Braun BI, et al. Integrating hospitals into community emergency preparedness planning. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:799.
Kanter RK, Moran JR. Pediatric hospital and intensive care unit capacity in regional disasters: expanding capacity by altering standards of care. Pediatrics. 2007;119:94–100.
Fuzak JK, et al. Mass transfer of pediatric tertiary care hospital inpatients to a new location in under 12 hours: lessons learned and implications for disaster preparedness. J Pediatr. 2010;157:138–143.e2.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The author declares that she has no conflict of interest.
Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent
This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.
Additional information
This article is part of the Topical Collection on Intensive Care Medicine
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gillen, J. Disaster Preparedness: Meeting the Needs of the Pediatric Population. Curr Pediatr Rep 5, 237–241 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-017-0147-2
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-017-0147-2