10 best pediatric patient assessment and treatments tips, resources and training

We asked EMS1 readers how many “sick” pediatric patient contacts they have in a typical month.

The “sick” or “not sick” rapid assessment, using the pediatric assessment triangle, is a commonly taught and applied approach to infant, toddler and school-age patients.

The EMS1.com homepage poll question asked:

How many “sick” pediatric patient contacts do you have in a typical month? More than half (54 percent) of respondents see zero to one sick child in a month. One-third (34 percent) of respondents see two to five sick kids each month. Very few poll respondents see six to 10 (6 percent) or 11 or more (6 percent) sick kids in a month.

Prepare for pediatric patient encounters

Because encounters with pediatric patients, especially sick kids, are rare, make sure to be well-prepared by reading these pediatric care articles and completing pediatric education courses like Emergency Pediatric Care or Pediatric Advanced Life Support.

Here are 10 of our most popular pediatric articles and videos.

1. Pediatric patient ABCs: 7 tips for EMTs and paramedics
2. Pediatric trauma assessment and treatment tips
3. Pediatric physical abuse: 4 tips to recognize it during the physical exam
4. Pediatric wheezing: It’s not always asthma
5. How to assess a pediatric patient’s mental status
6. Video: Nasal foreign body removal with a BVM
7. ‘Do it for Drew’ by checking and rechecking tube placement
8. Tips for assessing an adolescent psychiatric patient
9. Children with special health care needs: EMS assessment and treatment tips
10. Pediatric simulation training: Tips to make it effective for medics

Here are six more articles to help you better understand and assess children:

1. Paramedic invents device to reduce pediatric drug errors
2. Capnography for kids: 5 applications for EMS providers to consider
3. Prove It: Pushing hard improves cardiac arrest outcome for pediatric patients
4. Is it time to stop immobilizing kids?
5. Medics write picture book to teach kids about EMS
6. Research analysis: Capnography to assess effectiveness of pediatric ventilation

This article, originally published on April 01, 2016, has been updated.