Prehospital Emergency Medical Care for Children Varies in Quality, Consistency  

Researchers identified gaps in the quality of emergency medical care provided to children ages 17 and younger in prehospital settings, with older children more likely to receive better medical care. The study, “Patient and Emergency Medical Services Agency Factors Associated with Quality Care for Children,” published in the December 2025 Pediatrics (published online Nov. 10) analyzed 2,739,756 encounters resulting from 9-1-1 calls contained in the 2020-2023 National Emergency Medical Service Information System datasets. Researchers analyzed several outcomes, including medication for asthma or wheezing; glucagon or glucose for hypoglycemia; epinephrine for anaphylaxis; intravenous fluids for hypotension; pain improvement in trauma; pain assessment in trauma; and vital sign documentation in trauma. The study found inconsistency in quality of care, with older age associated with higher performance for most measures. Black, and Hispanic and Latino children with trauma were less likely to have an improvement in pain compared to white children but more likely to receive epinephrine for anaphylaxis. The authors observe that the study findings build on prior research that suggest that emergency medical service clinicians are less confident managing younger children. Prior research has shown that young children are less likely to have vital signs documented, vascular access obtained, and appropriate doses of medication administered. The authors recommend more research to determine whether these associations impact patient outcomes and to develop strategies to reduce variability in prehospital pediatric care.  

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.