What's New

An updated policy statement, Guidelines for Care of Children in the
Emergency Department, from the AAP, American College of Emergency
Physicians, and Emergency Nurses Association provides recommendations
on the essential equipment, medications, personnel training and key policies
needed for optimal emergency care of children.

Because most children who need emergency care are brought to commun-
ity hospitals, it is imperative that all hospital emergency departments stand
ready to provide appropriate emergency care to children of all ages. Pedia-
tric emergency preparedness will be even more important this fall and win-
ter, particularly where novel H1N1 influenza (swine flu) rates are higher.
The statement also offers recommendations to promote improved hospital
readiness for children in disasters and was endorsed by 22 other national
organizations and stakeholders.

ABC News Article -- Sept. 21, 2009

Additional Articles of Interest

• Guidelines for Care of Children in the Emergency Department:  Joint
  AAP/ACEP/ENA Policy Statement - October 2009
• Policy Offers Blueprint for Care of Children in the ED - November 2009November 2009
  
• Illinois Model Program to Improve Pediatric Emergency Department
  Readiness - August 2009
• AAP News Article - How Prepared are U.S. Hospitals to Handle Pedi-
  atric Emergencies? - March 2008
• Survey on Pediatric Preparedness of U.S. Emergency Departments -
  December 2007
• Institute of Medicine Report on Emergency Care for Children - June
  2006
  
• Availability of Pediatric Services & Equipment in U.S. Emergency
  Departments:  2002-2003 - February 2006
• Call to Action on Emergency Department Preparedness to Care for
  Children - April 2001
• Guidelines for Care of Children in the Emergency Department:  Joint
  AAP-ACEP Policy Statement - April 2001
  Policy Offers Blueprint for Care of Children in the ED

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• Introduction
  
  
• Committee Roster
  
  
• Advocacy & Education
  
  
• Helpful Links
  
  
• Policy Statements
  
  
• Publications

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• Disaster
  Preparedness
  
  
• H1N1 Influenza
  (Swine Flu)
  
  
• Section on
  Emergency Medicine
  
  
• Section on
  Critical Care
  
  
• AAP Committees
  
  
• AAP Sections
  & Councils

Introduction to COPEM

The AAP Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine (COPEM) addresses
the unique needs of infants, children, and adolescents in the access to and
delivery of pediatric emergency care. As an advocate for Emergency Med-ical Services for Children (EMSC), the Committee utilizes its resources to
foster national programs and policy designed to heighten professional and
public knowledge of such issues as prehospital care of children and EMS,
pediatric life support, hospital resources for the delivery of pediatric em-
ergency care including essential equipment, supplies, staffing, and proto-
cols. The Committee serves as a voice for EMSC within and outside the
Academy and is a liaison member of Stakeholder Group, American College
of Emergency Physicians Pediatric Committee, and American College of
Surgeons Committee on Trauma.

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• COPEM History