Position Statement on OPTIMIZING NEUROSURGICAL EMERGENCY CARE FOR THE PEDIATRIC PATIENT
Background
There is an emerging crisis in the availability of pediatric neurosurgical emergency care in many regions of the country. This is driven by a shortage of pediatric neurosurgeons, a societal expectation for care delivery by fellowship trained pediatric neurosurgeons, and individual neurosurgeons’ concerns regarding heightened medico-legal exposure. This confluence of events places the pediatric patient in need of emergency neurosurgical procedures at risk for excessive delays in treatment leading to suboptimal outcomes.
Position Statement
Optimal pediatric neurosurgical emergency care is delivered when a BE/BC Neurosurgeon performs necessary lifesaving and stabilizing neurosurgical interventions and procedures for a pediatric patient prior to elective transfer to a pediatric hospital when that transfer will result in a significant delay. Regional hospitals and trauma centers, children’s hospitals, and state legislatures should work collaboratively with their neurosurgeons to develop the financial and capital infrastructure, medicolegal protections, appropriate credentialing profiles, and efficient triage and transfer protocols to insure emergent neurosurgical intervention is provided for the pediatric patient at the earliest opportunity.
Click here to view the full AANS/CNS Position Statement on Optimizing Neurosurgical Emergency Care for the Pediatric Patient.
