title: Pediatric triage and allocation of critical care resources during disaster: Northwest provider opinion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Following Hurricane Katrina and the 2009 H1N1 epidemic, pediatric critical care clinicians recognized the urgent need for a standardized pediatric triage/allocation system. This study collected regional provider opinion on issues of care allocation and pediatric triage in a disaster/pandemic setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a cross-sectional survey of United States (US) health care providers and public health workers who demonstrated interest in critical care and/or disaster care medicine by attending a Northwest regional pediatric critical care symposium on disaster preparation, held in 2012 at Seattle Children's Hospital in Seattle, Washington (USA). The survey employed an electronic audience response system and included demographic, ethical, and logistical questions. Differences in opinions between respondents grouped by professions and work locations were evaluated using a chi-square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and twelve (97%) of 116 total attendees responded to at least one question; however, four of these responders failed to answer every question. Sixty-two (55%) responders were nurses, 29 (26%) physicians, and 21 (19%) other occupations. Fifty-five (51%) responders worked in pediatric hospitals vs 53 (49%) in other locations. Sixty-three (58%) of 108 successful responses prioritized children predicted to have a good neuro-cognitive outcome. Seventy-one (68%) agreed that no pediatric age group should be prioritized. Twenty-two (43%) of providers working in non-pediatric hospital locations preferred a triage system based on an objective score alone vs 14 (26%) of those in pediatric hospitals (P = .038).
authors.affiliation: 1Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh,Pittsburgh,PennsylvaniaUSA.
authors.forename: Erin Margaret
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: 2Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics,Seattle,WashingtonUSA.
authors.forename: Douglas S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Diekema
authors.affiliation: 2Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics,Seattle,WashingtonUSA.
authors.forename: Mithya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lewis-Newby
authors.affiliation: 3Seattle Children's Hospital,Seattle,WashingtonUSA.
authors.forename: Mary A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000066891:Critical Care Outcomes; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014218:Triage; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult