Hospital Resource Library

In the event of a mass casualty incident, resources for treating pediatric victims will be limited.  Staff that is inexperienced with pediatric critical injuries or illnesses will result in an inadequate surge capacity.  As part of preparedness, each facility should predetermine their ability to handle pediatric victims and develop a plan to be able to increase this capacity based on a pediatric surge.  There are typically fewer pediatric victims in the event of a disaster based on the assumptions related to population of pediatric vs. adult patients in the general population.  A conservative estimate of pediatric victims for the purposes of planning should assume approximately 15-20% of the victims are pediatric (15 years or younger).  There are many disasters (such as a school bus accident) that would alter this assumption.  In the event of a pediatric disaster or disaster that involves pediatric patients, information listed in this document can assist with appropriate response.

• Download the Pediatric Disaster Planning Considerations Document

The special medical needs of children make it essential that health care facilities be prepared for both pediatric and adult victims of bioterrorism attacks, including those resulting from dispersal of airborne or foodborne agents.1, 2 Moreover, while terrorist attacks on the United States have provoked the development of guidelines for hospital responses to acts of bioterrorism, few have focused on pediatric facilities.2 Compounding the problem is that many disaster plans that have been designed for children’s hospitals are not designed to accommodate large numbers of contagious individuals capable of disseminating highly lethal infectious agents.

This document is designed to address the topic of converting pediatric hospitals from standard operating capacity to surge capacity in response to large numbers of children with communicable airborne and foodborne agents.

• Pediatric Hospital Surge Capacity in Public Health Emergencies

California Health Alert Network (CAHAN)

• CAHAN First Time User’s Guide
• CAHAN / CHA Presentation

Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) & Wireless Priority Serive (WPS)

• GETS Article/Hurricane Katrina  (from the Montgomery, Alabama Advertiser)
• Priority Calling Service for Hospitals (CHA Memo)
• GETS / WPS Point-of-Contact Checklist
• GETS / WPS Service Descriptions
• GETS / WPS Preparedness

Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP)

• Establishing TSP Flowchart
• TSP Health Care Enrollment Guide
• TSP FAQs for Health Care Providers

General Communications

• Guide for Releasing Patient Information to the Media

Clinical checklists, guides, and just-in-time references to manage a surge of pediatric patients. Sections include:

• Normal Values
• Triage and Assessment
• Treatment and Medications
• Equipment
• Decontamination
• Mental Health
• Pediatric Safe Areas

Download the Pediatric Surge Pocket Guide