Pediatric Urgent Care Center Management of Traumatic Injuries in Infants and Children: Adherence to Evidence-Based...

To determine pediatric urgent care (PUC) clinician adherence to evidence-based practice guidelines in the management of pediatric trauma and to evaluate PUC emergency preparedness for conditions such as severe hemorrhage.

A questionnaire covering acute management of 15 pediatric traumatic injuries, awareness of the Stop the Bleed initiative, and presence of emergency equipment and medications was electronically distributed to members of the Society for Pediatric Urgent Care. Clinician management decisions were evaluated against evidence-based practice guidelines.

Eighty-three completed questionnaires were returned (25% response rate). Fifty-three physician and 25 advanced practice provider (APP) questionnaires were analyzed. Most respondents were adherent to evidence-based practice guidelines in the following scenarios: cervical spine injury; head injury without neurologic symptoms; blunt abdominal injury; laceration without bleeding, foreign body, or signs of infection; first-degree burn; second-degree burn with less than 10% total body surface area; animal bite with and without probable tenosynovitis; and orthopedic fractures. Fever respondents were adherent in the following scenarios: head injury with altered mental status (adherence: physicians, 64%; APPs, 44%) and laceration with foreign body and persistent hemorrhage (adherence: physicians, 52%; APPs, 41%). Most respondents (56%) were unaware of Stop the Bleed and only 48% reported having a bleeding control kit/tourniquet at their urgent care.

Providers in our sample demonstrated adherence with pediatric trauma evidence-based practice guidelines. Increased PUC provider trauma care certification, PUC incorporation of Stop the Bleed education, and PUC presence of equipment and medications would further improve emergency preparedness.