WASHINGTON — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has created new recommendations for transporting children in ambulances.
The NHTSA released a report Wednesday based on its ongoing 2008 project “Solutions to Safely Transport Children in Emergency Vehicles.”
A NHTSA panel composed of experts and personnel from different national EMS and health care organizations headed the project, hoping to find a definitively safe way to transport children in ambulances.
The panel described the problem as stemming from a lack of data involving ambulances crashes involving children and a lack of protocol for EMS personnel on child passenger safety.
“Although recent crash data in the United States does not indicate that children are being killed or injured in ambulance crashes as patients or passengers, a review of local and national media coverage of ambulance crashes suggests that children of all age may not be properly restrained while riding in ambulances and can potentially be injured if involved in a crash,” the report said.
According to the report, the first principle to be followed to ensure the safe transportation of children in emergency ground ambulances is to make everything as safe as possible.
It adds that safety starts with general operational policy and procedures that enhance ambulance safety for all occupants, regardless of age, including:
- Seat belt and restraint use for ALL ambulance occupants all of the time;
- Securement of movable equipment;
- Maintaining and cleaning neonatal and child restraint seats and equipment per manufacturer’s instructions;
- Following current pediatric standards of care for injured children;
- Driver screening and selection (including background checks as provided for by the State’s EMS personnel policy)
- Training that includes hands-on emergency ground ambulance operation instruction
- Monitoring of driving practices through use of technology and other means
- Use of principles of emergency medical dispatching to determine resource and response modalities
- Methods to reduce the unnecessary use of emergency lights and sirens (when transporting patients) when appropriate.
The report stresses the importance of proper restraints for children, depending on their age and the severity of the injuries.
Panelists say that despite specific data, devising proper restraint protocols can give EMS personnel a set procedure for dealing with children transports.
The report details several scenarios for responders and their recommendations in the proper transport method.
“Addressing and planning for these situations in advance will better prepare EMS personnel and their agencies and other public safety personnel, patients, family members and the general public,” the report said.
“Regardless of what type of vehicle is used in these situations, an age/size-appropriate child restraint system that complies with FMVSS No. 213 must always be used.
Generally speaking, when the number of patients exceeds the ability to provide adequate care with existing EMS personnel and emergency ground ambulances, or to secure child patients… EMS personnel need to request additional transportation resources that can respond in a timely manner.”