title: Evaluation of child maltreatment in the emergency department setting: an overview for behavioral health providers.
abstract: Emergency providers are confronted with medical, social, and legal dilemmas with each case of possible child maltreatment. Keeping a high clinical suspicion is key to diagnosing latent abuse. Child abuse, especially sexual abuse, is best handled by a multidisciplinary team including emergency providers, nurses, social workers, and law enforcement trained in caring for victims and handling forensic evidence. The role of the emergency provider in such cases is to identify abuse, facilitate a thorough investigation, treat medical needs, protect the patient, provide an unbiased medical consultation to law enforcement, and provide an ethical testimony if called to court.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Arizona, 1501 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA. Electronic address: aleetch@aemrc.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Aaron N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Leetch
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Arizona, 1501 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leipsic
authors.affiliation: Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Arizona, 1501 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA.
authors.forename: Dale P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Woolridge
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States
keywords: Child abuse; Child maltreatment; Emergency; Nonaccidental trauma; Retinal hemorrhage; Rib fractures; Sexual abuse; Shaken-baby syndrome