title: Pediatric issues in disaster management, part 3: special healthcare needs patients and mental health issues.
abstract: Although children and infants are likely to be victims in a disaster and are more vulnerable in a disaster than adults, disaster planning and management has often overlooked the specific needs of pediatric patients. We discuss key components of disaster planning and management for pediatric patients including emergency medical services, hospital/facility issues, evacuation centers, family separation/reunification, children with special healthcare needs, mental health issues, and overcrowding/surge capacity. Specific policy recommendations and an appendix with detailed practical information and algorithms are included. The first part of this three part series on pediatric issues in disaster management addresses the emergency medical system from the field to the hospital and surge capacity including the impact of crowding. The second part addresses the appropriate set up and functioning of evacuation centers and family separation and reunification. The third part deals with special patient populations: the special healthcare needs patient and mental health issues.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Sharon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Mace
authors.forename: Ghazala
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sharieff
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bern
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burbulys
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Merritt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schreiber
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006077:Government Agencies; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D001523:Mental Disorders; D010360:Patient Transfer; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods*