Kids Really Are Just Small Adults: Utilizing the Pediatric Triangle with the Classic ABCD Approach to Assess Pediatric Patients

Division

North Florida

Hospital

Osceola Regional Medical Center

Document Type

Review Article

Publication Date

3-26-2020

Keywords

pediatrics, emergency medical services, pediatric assessment triangle, critical care, emergency medicine, acute care

Disciplines

Emergency Medicine | Family Medicine | Pediatrics

Abstract

Pediatric altered mental status is a commonly feared presentation of children in both the emergency department and prehospital setting. Given the usual difficulties we face when treating children, utilizing systematic tools can help us to remain thorough and consistent when evaluating any given child. By using a standardized method of evaluation and diagnosis, first responders and emergency physicians can set aside their worries of mismanagement and provide adequate care to children with undifferentiated altered mental status. This article reviews one of the many approaches toward assessing children's clinical status, walks through the elements that comprise it, and examines how it can be used to make emergency providers more confident.

Publisher or Conference

Cureus

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