Pediatric resources are becoming more limited. Children require specialized care, equipment, and resources. The below plan and materials were developed to ensure our state is capable of responding to a statewide pediatric surge disaster.
This plan addresses operations in a statewide response to a pediatric surge incident.
Pediatric Surge Toolkit
Purpose
To prepare individuals, health care facilities, and regional health care coalitions to respond to incidents involving pediatric patients and a surge.
Introduction
This 4-minute Pediatric Surge Toolkit presentation walks you through all the materials available in this toolkit and how to use them.
Included in the Toolkit:
Never had a conversation about pediatric preparedness? Start here! Use these tools to determine where your facility or region are in the planning process for a pediatric surge event.
Having assessed where you are, use the tools below to help you create a pediatric surge plan for your health care facility.
Pediatric Primer (PDF) (updated January 2019) The pediatric primer walks users through all preparedness areas to consider when planning for a pediatric surge event. It will help you create the best response for your facility, large or small.
Template: Facility Pediatric Surge Plan (Word) Use this template to create a pediatric plan or annex for your facility emergency operations plan. It will take you step by step through all considerations discussed in the Pediatric Primer.
Sample Menu for Pediatric Patients (PDF) In an emergency you might lose power. This sample menu provides guidance on how to feed children of all ages with little or no energy.
Want to learn more or train your staff specifically in pediatric surge preparedness? Below are educational materials for disciplines ranging from physician to emergency manager.
Pediatric Surge Videos There are six modules designed for health care facility staff (e.g. nursing, provider, emergency manager). They are: Trauma, Triage and Decontamination, Non-Traumatic Disaster, Crisis Standards of Care, Children with Special Needs, and Operations and Incident Management.
Training Scenarios for Pediatric Patients (PDF) Want your providers to sharpen their skills on pediatric triage and treatment? Work through these scenarios either individually or in small groups.
Exercise Pediatric Victim Cards (Ohio Hospital Association) These cards are designed for actors portraying pediatric victims in a functional or full-scale exercise. Complete with symptoms, physical findings, and other patient information. Could be modified for a tabletop exercise.
Addressing the Needs of Children in Disaster Preparedness Exercises (2nd Edition, 2016) Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children. This document contains six different pediatric exercise scenarios appropriate for multiple disciplines/organizations, including: clinics/physician offices/urgent care facilities, emergency management, EMS/fire, hospitals, law enforcement, long term care, public health, and schools/child care centers.
Here are useful materials to use during a pediatric surge event. You can print and use these forms or modify them to work for your facility or region.
Pediatric Surge Playbook Created by The Western Regional Alliance for Pediatric Emergency Management (WRAP-EM), this playbook was designed to provide considerations and potential response strategies for the challenges experienced by healthcare organizations during a pediatric surge. The playbook takes a “just in time” and “how-to” approach in its formatting design to allow for quick reference and use during pediatric surge incidents.
Pediatric Safe Area As discussed in the Pediatric Primer (see Planning Tools above) a Pediatric Safe Area is a place where children not requiring treatment can stay while awaiting family reunification.
American Academy of Pediatrics The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has a dedicated website for Children & Disasters. Here you will find training for pediatricians, information for families, Emergency Department Readiness, and an Exercise Resource Kit.
ASPR/TRACIE Topic Collection: Pediatric/Children This topic collection contains resources relevant to general pediatric disaster planning. There are several pediatric sub-categories such as access and functional needs, disaster ethics, family reunification, and more.
HHS/ASPR: COVID-19 Resources for Pediatric Healthcare Leaders and Clinicians This new website contains information for pediatric health care providers regarding COVID-19 including understand risks, keeping children healthy, treatment of COVID-19 in the pediatric population and managing patient surge. Added 10/20/2021
Natural Hazards Center: Research Counts Children and Disasters Special Collection These articles are intended for a broad audience of public health practitioners, emergency managers, policy makers, caregivers and others interested in the ways children are impacted by disasters. The Tool Index provides web links to CDC, FEMA, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, and other organizations’ resources on this topic.
