Important Information for Every Parent

Before a CT scan, common with concussions, remember the COOL approach and talk with your child’s doctor:

Consider using other testing (without radiation) when appropriate
Only image the indicated area
Only scan once
Lowest amount of radiation should used, based on child dosing

Dr. Ernest Leva, an associate professor and director of the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and physician chair of the N.J. Council of Children’s Hospitals, has partnered with the Institute for Quality and Patient Safety at the New Jersey Hospital Association on a new pediatric safety initiative.

The Safe CT Imaging Collaborative is working to standardize protocols for head CT scans in children and educate parents about the need to be smart about CT imaging.

The Collaborative was launched last fall, with 47 hospitals joining with the Council of Children’s Hospitals and the Hospital Improvement Innovation Network, led by NJHA and has developed a #ScanSmart toolkit.

#ScanSmart helps healthcare providers educate parents, coaches, trainers and others with posters and pamphlets highlighting both the benefits and risks of CT imaging.

Read more here.

KNOW THE SIGNS OF SEPSIS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signs of Sepsis Include:

  • rapid breathing and fast heartbeat
  • pale or mottled skin
  • confusion or sleepiness
  • fever and chills
  • feeling the sickest you’ve ever felt
  • extreme pain

Sepsis kills close to 5,000 children in the United States every year. It results from infection caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Because there is no confirmatory test, diagnosing sepsis is based on evidence of infection and clinical judgment. Early detection is crucial, followed by aggressive treatment to prevent serious long-term health complications or death.

Sepsis is often misdiagnosed because its symptoms mimic those of common pediatric conditions – fever, racing heart, rapid or labored breathing, cool extremities, and lethargy.

If you are concerned about any of these symptoms seek medical attention immediately.