Citation

Hon HH, Sheref Kousari YM, Papadimos TJ, Tsavoussis A, Jeanmonod R, Stawicki SP. Int. J. Crit. Illn. Inj. Sci. 2015; 5(4): 223-226.

Affiliation

Department of Research and Innovation, St. Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Medknow Publications)

DOI

10.4103/2229-5151.170854

PMID

26807388

PMCID

PMC4705565

Abstract

The most difficult clinical situations faced by physicians are child abuse/neglect and pediatric mortality. These phenomena are tragic, illogical, unnatural, emotional, and uncomfortable. They are also associated with significant distress and long-term consequences for communities, families, and healthcare providers. The World Health Organization reported approximately 6.6 million deaths in children <5 years of age in 2012, which has decreased significantly since the United Nations introduced the Millennium Development Goals that included child health and well-being. Although child abuse and neglect continue to occur, appropriate steps to extinguish these maladies are being pursued. Despite this progress, child abuse/neglect and pediatric mortality should continue to feature prominently on the global socio-political agenda, with increasing amounts of resources dedicated to address and ensure the well-being of our younger generations at the global level.

Trauma, whether accidental or intentional, is a leading cause of mortality among children. Within the subset of pediatric trauma, burn injuries (both thermal and in some cases chemical) can be devastating because of their long-term psychological and functional sequelae, as well as the fact that up to 20% of pediatric burns may be nonaccidental in nature. When treated inappropriately or in an untimely fashion, burn injuries can have severe detrimental effects, especially when combined with preexisting factors such as child malnutrition. Most burn victims are initially brought to emergency departments, where they are evaluated and treated by emergency physicians prior to the involvement of surgical and wound care experts. Therefore, emergency medicine physicians need to be specifically trained in this clinical area of expertise, including appropriate resuscitation techniques, wound care, prevention of sepsis, and the ability to recognize child abuse....

Language: en