Annals of emergency medicine
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We perform a needs assessment of pediatric readiness, using a novel scoring system in California emergency departments (EDs), and determine the effect of pediatric verification processes on pediatric readiness. ⋯ We report on the first comprehensive statewide assessment of "pediatric readiness" in EDs according to the 2009 "Guidelines for Care of Children in the Emergency Department." The presence of a pediatric readiness verification process, pediatric emergency care coordinator, and quality improvement plan for pediatric emergency care was associated with higher levels of pediatric readiness.
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Desaturation during intubation has been associated with serious complications, including dysrhythmias, hemodynamic decompensation, hypoxic brain injury, and cardiac arrest. We seek to determine the incidence and duration of oxygen desaturation during emergency department (ED) rapid sequence intubation. ⋯ In this series, 1 in 3 patients undergoing ED rapid sequence intubation experienced oxygen desaturation for a median duration of 80 seconds. Preintubation saturation less than 93%, multiple intubation attempts, and prolonged intubation time are independently associated with oxygen desaturation. Clinicians should use strategies to prevent oxygen desaturation during ED rapid sequence intubation.