THURSDAY, Sept. 19, 2002 (HealthDayNews) -- A new interactive CD for pediatricians, family doctors, nurses and medical office staff may help save children's lives in medical emergencies.
About 2,000 copies of the CD, called Office PERC (Office Preparedness for Emergency Response to Children), will be distributed across the country. Drs. Robert Wiebe and Patricia Primm of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center were among the experts who developed the CD.
"Although the office practice setting is usually not equipped to handle true emergencies, patients will often use their primary-care provider as an entry point to health care when an emergency occurs," Wiebe says.
"A prudent physician must prepare the office to recognize and stabilize potential emergencies, and have a plan to get them [patients] to definitive care emergency resources in a timely fashion. Information provided by Office PERC will give the primary-care provider all the tools necessary to have an office that is emergency prepared," Wiebe says.
The CD includes information on emergency drills, supplies, assessment methods and treatment information.
"One of the most significant issues in Office PERC is knowing the components of your EMS system. For example, knowing which EMS paramedics will respond and how quickly is one of critical importance. Office PERC is a mechanism that will aid the office practitioner to identify the EMS responder level and what pediatric medical equipment is available on ambulances responding to his office," Primm says.
More information
The Mayo Clinic has tips on how to keep your child out of the emergency room.
