Your child is injured in an Atlanta car accident. The EMT asks you if you have a hospital preference. What do you say? Do you choose the nearest emergency room? Or, do you choose a children’s hospital?
In 2006, doctors at Johns Hopkins and Duke University assessed emergency procedures at 35 emergency rooms in North Carolina. Nearly every hospital included in thestudy failed to adequately stabilize injured children. Emergency room doctors were unable to identify children suffering a life-threatening drop in blood sugar. They did not order necessary treatments. Were these doctors incompetent?
No, these were very good trauma doctors, but they were trained to work with adults. Children are different. They can’t communicate how they feel. The signs of injury are more subtle and their conditions deteriorate rapidly. Even a small amount of blood loss is enough to cause shock or death in a young child.
Children account for one-third of emergency room visits, yet 94 percent of hospitals lack pediatric medical supplies. We are fortunate. Atlanta has two hospitals dedicated to treating children: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
Talk to your pediatrician about the best emergency room for your child. If your child is injured in an Atlanta car accident, ask that your child be taken to that hospital. Then, call your pediatrician to let him know that there has been an accident and you are going to the emergency room.
If your child has life-threatening injuries, immediate treatment is important. Go to the nearest hospital. You can request a transfer to your preferred hospital once your child’s condition is stable.
Learn more about what to do after a car accident in Atlanta car accident attorney Jeffrey Kaufman’s book, Hurt in Georgia: An Injury Attorney’s Thoughts on Car Wrecks. Use the link in the sidebar to request your free copy or contact Kaufman Law at 888-WRECK-404 to schedule your free case evaluation.
