The Need for EMSC

Children are smaller than adults but one would think that aside from their size, they are essentially the same as adults in physical makeup and, consequently, treating their health needs must be the same. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Children are physiologically very different than adults, contract different diseases and illnesses, and have very different reasoning power and mental maturity. As a result, treating their emergency medical needs must be done very differently.
Despite that fact, most emergency personnel are neither equipped nor trained to handle the specific needs of children. Instead they are often given the same tools and training for children as are used for adults. More than 30 years ago, emergency medical services (EMS) systems were created to provide rapid intervention for heart attacks in adults and rapid transport for motor vehicle crash victims. Initially, no one recognized that children required specialized emergency care. Did you know that

• Many emergency medical personnel have not been trained in basic lifesaving procedures for children?
• Many hospital emergency departments and emergency vehicles do not carry the equipment and supplies needed to save children's lives?
• In many places, rehabilitation services that could help seriously injured children return to normal lives are not available?

Federal, state and local organizations have joined together to tackle these and other barriers to quality emergency care for children. This effort is called Emergency Services for Children (EMSC).