The Pediatric ER with Melissa Sparrow, MD
How do pediatric experts distract children from pain?
GBMC’s Pediatric Unit offers specialized care and treatment for children from birth through adolescence. The facility features a five-bed pediatric emergency department, combined with an eight-bed pediatric in-patient department. “There are only three of these types of combined units in Maryland,” says Melissa Sparrow, MD, Clinical Director of Pediatrics at GBMC. “The idea is catching on fast, though. Many hospital groups are intrigued by our model and visit for ideas.”
An emergency facility that specifically serves pediatric patients provides better care for children and their families. In a pediatric ER, patients receive treatment from pediatricians, pediatric nurses and other staff members, specially trained to care for children. “We can make the experience less traumatic for them because of the particular aspects of care we focus on and how we interact with families. Attention to the emotional context of illness is crucial,” says Dr. Sparrow.
Often, children need to be treated differently from adults due to their level of cognitive development. “You have to manage children’s anticipation and anxiety differently, depending on their age,” says Dr. Sparrow. “We need to work with all levels of childhood development, as well as with a complex array of families and cultures.”
GBMC’s pediatric staff frequently uses a distraction cart. These moveable carts provide children with toys, mobiles, bubbles, books and games. The children select items, at times with the help of a staff member, to distract themselves from unpleasant diagnostic tests and treatments. “Different types of distraction can be used for different ages, and can lessen the need for medications,” says Dr. Sparrow.
It is equally important for the staff to work effectively with children’s parents. “Patients’ perceptions of what is happening to them are intimately tied in with their parents’ perception,” says Dr. Sparrow. “In addition, how parents understand the diagnosis you have made and the treatment you have prescribed affects their compliance and their child’s potential for wellness.”
Dr. Sparrow says taking care of patients in the Pediatric Unit of GBMC is highly rewarding. The patients receive state-of-the-art pediatric care. They are treated in a family-friendly, upbeat environment that carries with it a sense of continuity and safety. “Best of all is watching patients get better,” says Dr. Sparrow. “As an emergency room doctor and an in-patient doctor, I see the whole trajectory of illness and the happiness on the other side.”
