Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Overview

The Pediatric Emergency Department at Mass General for Children cares for over 20,000 patients a year. Doctors and nurses specially trained in emergency medicine are available 24 hours a day to handle emergencies including serious illnesses and injuries. Infants, children, and adolescents are treated in a child-friendly setting within the Emergency Department at Mass General, but with a separate waiting room and exam rooms. If your child needs specialized care, the Emergency Department has access to the 300 physicians, 50 medical specialties, and 15 surgical services of Mass General for Children.

The new pediatric ED has many child- and family-friendly features to help make your child’s visit smooth and minimize stress for you and your child, including:

• Ten child-friendly, private rooms, including two rooms specifically for infectious disease
• Exam rooms that accommodate your child and family members if both need emergency care at the same time
• Child Life Specialists who help your child and family throughout the hospital experience through playtime, age-appropriate education about your child’s care and preparing your child for procedures or exams
• A separate waiting area with pediatric-appropriate programming
• Televisions and DVD controls in every room
• Relaxing interactive LED lights above every bed

The pediatric ED provides a full range of services, including:

• On-site radiology with low doses of radiation, adjusted appropriately for your child’s age
• On-site fluoroscopy with low doses of radiation, adjusted appropriately for your child’s age
• 24-hour psychiatric coverage
• The option for sedation to facilitate painful procedures is always available when clinically appropriate
• Access to all of the world-class resources at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Mass General for Children, including pediatric surgery and intensive care units

Level I Pediatric Trauma Center

Mass General for Children is verified by the American College of Surgeons as a Level I (highest level) pediatric trauma center, capable of providing state-of-the-art emergency care to the most critically injured children.

With the availability of the rooftop helipad, the Pediatric Emergency Department gives acutely ill children access to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) or Pediatric Trauma Surgical Service at Mass General for Children as well as to Shriners Hospital for Children and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary/Mass General Hyperbaric Service.

Close Collaboration with Referring Physicians

Many of the children seen in the Pediatric Emergency Department are referred by their primary care providers. The pediatric attending is available to take referrals and to discuss patient cases, even those that may ultimately not require a Pediatric Emergency Department visit. Referring physicians are crucial members of the team caring for children in the Pediatric Emergency Department. They will get a call back to discuss findings and proposed disposition.

Ongoing Research

The pediatric emergency medicine and trauma professionals at Mass General for Children participate in several research activities, including a national multi-center asthma study and the National Electronic Injury Survival System (NEISS)—a branch of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Members of our faculty are specialized in Health Services research in pediatrics as well as Gun Violence Prevention research.

Patient Resources

• You Are Here: Wendy's Welcome to the Emergency Department (video)
• View the full collection of patient resources from the Pediatric Emergency Department at MGfC.