There likely isn't one perfect solution to the disparity in outcomes, noted lead author Stefanie Ames, M.D., M.S., a pediatrician specializing in critical care medicine at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital and assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.

"Should we focus only on improving the pediatric readiness of all hospitals, potentially investing money and resources in hospitals that rarely see children? Or should we do more to direct pediatric emergencies to hospitals well-equipped to care for them, potentially increasing transport times?" she asked. "Some combination will likely be needed and potential solutions also could incorporate telemedicine and processes to promote quick recognition and transfer of pediatric emergencies to more prepared hospitals."

Additional authors on this research are Billie S. Davis, Ph.D., and Erika L. Fink, M.D., M.S., both of Pitt; Lenora M. Olson, Ph.D., M.A., of the University of Utah; and Marianne Gausche-Hill, M.D., of UCLA and the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency.


About the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
The University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences include the schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Graduate School of Public Health. The schools serve as the academic partner to the UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center). Together, their combined mission is to train tomorrow's health care specialists and biomedical scientists, engage in groundbreaking research that will advance understanding of the causes and treatments of disease and participate in the delivery of outstanding patient care. Since 1998, Pitt and its affiliated university faculty have ranked among the top 10 educational institutions in grant support from the National Institutes of Health.

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