Take precautions to stay out of the pediatric emergency department this season

Published on Friday, December 1, 2023

By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu

One place no family wants to spend the holidays is in the pediatric emergency department, but accidents and illnesses can result in the need for emergency care.

Dr. Fernando Gomez, chief of pediatric emergency medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, said the emergency department at Children’s of Mississippi sees some ailments more than others this season. These can range from injuries from car accidents to medication misuse and cases of the flu.

Buckle up and drive safely

“Traveling for the holidays carries with it the risk of accidents,” Gomez said. “We advise families to drive safely and make sure everyone is using either a seat belt, booster seat or infant car seat when on the road.”

Motor vehicle accidents were the leading cause of death for U.S. children in 2021, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children younger than 13 sitting in the middle of the back seat in the car or booster seat suited to their weight. Between 2019 and 2020, about 3.8 million emergency room visits resulted from car crashes in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health.

During the winter, children may be bundled up in coats. When buckling them into car seats, take bulky items off first so they can be belted in more securely.

Medication precautions

Families also need to make sure they pack any daily medications their children might need as well as rescue medications such as albuterol for children with asthma or an EpiPen for allergic reactions, he said.

Another medication-related danger is children ingesting medications of grandparents and other family members, said Erinn Funches, safety and community outreach manager at Children’s of Mississippi.

"If staying with family, make sure the home is child-proof and that everyone keeps medications as well as vitamins and supplements out of children’s reach,” she said. “Program the Poison Help number, 1-800-222-1222, into your phone in case it’s needed.”

‘Exploratory ingestions’

During holiday celebrations, it’s a good idea to have at least one adult assigned to watch young children, Gomez said.

“At larger family gatherings, we sometimes see younger children accidentally getting into things they shouldn’t, leading to exploratory ingestions,” he said. “Young children are fast and can swallow items before an adult can stop them.”

Batteries and toys with small parts can be a danger, Funches said.

“Keep a special eye on small pieces, including button batteries that may be included in electronic toys,” she said. “While these kinds of games are great for older kids, they can pose a potential danger for younger, curious siblings.”

More than 7,000 visits to emergency rooms from 2010 to 2019 are battery-related, as estimated in a study published in August by the journal, Pediatrics. That’s more than double the number recorded from 1990 to 2009.

Avoid the flu

Another way to stay out of the emergency department is to make sure everyone in the family gets a dose of the flu vaccine before the holidays. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends flu vaccination to everyone 6 months or older with rare exception, Gomez said.

“The holidays bring people together indoors, which makes the spread of influenza easier,” he said. “Because the flu can become serious in young children as well as older adults, it’s a good idea to protect your loved ones and yourself.”

Most children with flu don’t need emergency care. However, symptoms such as fast or troubled breathing, a bluish discoloration of the skin or dehydration are signs a child needs immediate care in an emergency department.

Helmets under the tree

Another way to avoid injuries, Funches said, is to include a helmet with the bicycle or skateboard underneath the Christmas tree.

“Wearing a helmet that fits properly is the best way to prevent serious injury or death in a bicycle accident,” she said.

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, cycling accidents resulted in 136,753 emergency room visits, 7,786 hospitalizations and 102 deaths in 2020 for U.S. children and adolescents 19 and younger. The country did see a 35% decrease in the number of fatal bicycle injuries for children between 2006 and 2020, thanks in part to a higher rate of helmet use.

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