Preparedness and Response to Pediatric COVID-19 in European Emergency Departments : A Survey of the REPEM and PERUKI Networks
(2020) In Annals of Emergency Medicine 76(6). p.788-800- Abstract
Study objective: We aim to describe the variability and identify gaps in preparedness and response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in European emergency departments (EDs) caring for children. Methods: A cross-sectional point-prevalence survey was developed and disseminated through the pediatric emergency medicine research networks for Europe (Research in European Pediatric Emergency Medicine) and the United Kingdom and Ireland (Paediatric Emergency Research in the United Kingdom and Ireland). We aimed to include 10 EDs for countries with greater than 20 million inhabitants and 5 EDs for less populated countries, unless the number of eligible EDs was less than 5. ED directors or their delegates completed the survey between March... (More)
Study objective: We aim to describe the variability and identify gaps in preparedness and response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in European emergency departments (EDs) caring for children. Methods: A cross-sectional point-prevalence survey was developed and disseminated through the pediatric emergency medicine research networks for Europe (Research in European Pediatric Emergency Medicine) and the United Kingdom and Ireland (Paediatric Emergency Research in the United Kingdom and Ireland). We aimed to include 10 EDs for countries with greater than 20 million inhabitants and 5 EDs for less populated countries, unless the number of eligible EDs was less than 5. ED directors or their delegates completed the survey between March 20 and 21 to report practice at that time. We used descriptive statistics to analyze data. Results: Overall, 102 centers from 18 countries (86% response rate) completed the survey: 34% did not have an ED contingency plan for pandemics and 36% had never had simulations for such events. Wide variation on personal protective equipment (PPE) items was shown for recommended PPE use at pretriage and for patient assessment, with 62% of centers experiencing shortage in one or more PPE items, most frequently FFP2 and N95 masks. Only 17% of EDs had negative-pressure isolation rooms. Coronavirus disease 2019–positive ED staff was reported in 25% of centers. Conclusion: We found variation and identified gaps in preparedness and response to the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic across European referral EDs for children. A lack in early availability of a documented contingency plan, provision of simulation training, appropriate use of PPE, and appropriate isolation facilities emerged as gaps that should be optimized to improve preparedness and inform responses to future pandemics.
(Less)
- author
- Bressan, Silvia
; Buonsenso, Danilo
; Farrugia, Ruth
; Parri, Niccolo’
; Oostenbrink, Rianne
; Titomanlio, Luigi
; Roland, Damian
; Nijman, Ruud G.
; Maconochie, Ian
; Da Dalt, Liviana
; Mintegi, Santiago
and Orfanos, Ioannis
LU
(Less) - author collaboration
- publishing date
- 2020
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Annals of Emergency Medicine
- volume
- 76
- issue
- 6
- pages
- 788 - 800
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:32419713
- scopus:85086393936
- ISSN
- 0196-0644
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2020.05.018
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2020 American College of Emergency Physicians Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
- id
- cb5728d4-61d3-4b3c-acb7-bce4eb02e196
- date added to LUP
- 2021-09-01 15:50:02
- date last changed
- 2025-06-30 03:01:25
@article{cb5728d4-61d3-4b3c-acb7-bce4eb02e196,
abstract = {{<p>Study objective: We aim to describe the variability and identify gaps in preparedness and response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in European emergency departments (EDs) caring for children. Methods: A cross-sectional point-prevalence survey was developed and disseminated through the pediatric emergency medicine research networks for Europe (Research in European Pediatric Emergency Medicine) and the United Kingdom and Ireland (Paediatric Emergency Research in the United Kingdom and Ireland). We aimed to include 10 EDs for countries with greater than 20 million inhabitants and 5 EDs for less populated countries, unless the number of eligible EDs was less than 5. ED directors or their delegates completed the survey between March 20 and 21 to report practice at that time. We used descriptive statistics to analyze data. Results: Overall, 102 centers from 18 countries (86% response rate) completed the survey: 34% did not have an ED contingency plan for pandemics and 36% had never had simulations for such events. Wide variation on personal protective equipment (PPE) items was shown for recommended PPE use at pretriage and for patient assessment, with 62% of centers experiencing shortage in one or more PPE items, most frequently FFP2 and N95 masks. Only 17% of EDs had negative-pressure isolation rooms. Coronavirus disease 2019–positive ED staff was reported in 25% of centers. Conclusion: We found variation and identified gaps in preparedness and response to the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic across European referral EDs for children. A lack in early availability of a documented contingency plan, provision of simulation training, appropriate use of PPE, and appropriate isolation facilities emerged as gaps that should be optimized to improve preparedness and inform responses to future pandemics.</p>}},
author = {{Bressan, Silvia and Buonsenso, Danilo and Farrugia, Ruth and Parri, Niccolo’ and Oostenbrink, Rianne and Titomanlio, Luigi and Roland, Damian and Nijman, Ruud G. and Maconochie, Ian and Da Dalt, Liviana and Mintegi, Santiago and Orfanos, Ioannis}},
issn = {{0196-0644}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{6}},
pages = {{788--800}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Annals of Emergency Medicine}},
title = {{Preparedness and Response to Pediatric COVID-19 in European Emergency Departments : A Survey of the REPEM and PERUKI Networks}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2020.05.018}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.annemergmed.2020.05.018}},
volume = {{76}},
year = {{2020}},
}