Strategies To Improve Pediatric Disaster Surge Response: Potential Mortality Reduction And Tradeoffs

• 2007

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• Robert Kanter
PMID: 17901842DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ccm.0000287579.10746.43

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This article describes ways to reduce deaths in pediatric disasters by improving hospital response. It suggests two strategies: controlling where patients are sent to avoid overcrowding and expanding hospital capacity by changing care standards. A model showed that spreading patients across hospitals could lower deaths by 11%, while increasing capacity could cut them by 24%. Combining both methods might reduce mortality by 47%. However, changing care too soon may cause preventable deaths. The study highlights the importance of managing patient distribution and adjusting care levels during large-scale emergencies to save more lives.

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Tags

Focus Areas: Natural Disasters; Violence

Audiences: Emergency Managers; EMS Clinicians

Emergency Management Stage: Preparedness (Prevention / Protection)

Collection: Disaster Research Literature Review

Keywords: Child; Disaster Planning; Health Care Rationing; Hospital Bed Capacity; Hospitals, Pediatric; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; Models, Statistical; New York City; Pediatrics; Progressive Patient Care; Triage; Hospital Mortality; Models, Organizational

Institutions: State University of New York - Upstate Medical University

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