title: Training paramedics: emergency care for children with special health care needs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To enhance knowledge and comfort related to the emergency care of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) through an innovative continuing education program for paramedics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-study program presenting in-depth information about common problems that affect the assessment and management of a child's airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and environment (ABCDEs), regardless of the child's diagnosis, was developed. This program used a manual, a video, practice mannequins, and skills evaluations to teach skills to paramedics employed at a municipal fire department.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre- and posttraining surveys found that the paramedics were significantly more comfortable with the assessment and management of CSHCN after the completion of the self-study program, with a pretraining average of 2.83 and posttraining average of 4.20 on a five-point Likert-type scale, t(37) = 12.87, p < 0.001. A skills evaluation showed that skills performance varied widely across 21 skills, ranging from skills mastery to low skills knowledge. On the posttraining survey, between 74% and 94% of the paramedics rated each topic (tracheostomies, indwelling central venous catheters, cerebrospinal fluid shunts, gastrostomies, child abuse, and latex allergy) as applicable to their practices as paramedics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the growing population of CSHCN, it is important to provide specialized education to increase an EMS provider's preparedness to respond to emergency situations involving children with special health care needs.
authors.affiliation: Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Spaite
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Karriker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seng
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Conroy
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tibbitts
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Salik
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003479:Curriculum; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000628:therapy*; D004496:Education, Continuing; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000193:education*; D006285:Health Planning; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015397:Program Evaluation