Changes in Pediatric Inpatient Capabilities and Emergency Department Pediatric Readiness

• 2025

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• Ashley Foster; Jonathan Eisenberg; Rachel Crady
PMID: 40310647DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.8277

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This research article describes how many hospitals in the US have lost special units for children between 2013 and 2021. Hospitals that lost these pediatric units, especially intensive care units, were less ready to care for very sick or injured children in their emergency departments. Hospitals that added new pediatric wards or intensive care units became more prepared. The study suggests that losing these resources could make it harder for kids to get good emergency care and recommends looking into why these changes are happening.

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Tags

Focus Area: Everyday Emergency

Audiences: Emergency Managers; Physicians

Emergency Management Stage: Response

Keywords: Cross-Sectional Studies; Hospital Units; Hospitals, General; Inpatients; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; Patient Admission; Quality of Health Care; Retrospective Studies; United States; Emergency Service, Hospital

Institutions: University of California San Francisco; University of Texas at Austin; University of Utah

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