Safe Transport of Children by EMS: Interim Guidance March 8, 2017

Ferno's PEDI-MATE^® is the pediatric restraint system agencies rely on for safely transporting children.

Pediatric transport has been one of the most talked about issues in EMS over the past two decades. There's no question that children should be securely restrained inside an ambulance during transport. The challenge has been in a lack of "evidence-based standards..." says the National Association of State EMS officials (NASEMSO). The organization recently issued: Interim Guidance for the safe transport of children by ambulance. DOWNLOAD GUIDELINES

Key points include:

• The primary focus should be to secure the torso, and provide support for the head, neck, and spine of the child, as indicated by the patient's condition.
• A prohibition on children being transported unrestrained.
• To only use child restraint devices in the position for which they are designed and tested.

Pedi-Mate^® quickly adapts any ambulance cot for the safe transport of children, ranging in size from 10 to 40 lb (4.5 to 18 kg).

In recent years, the CDC has also announced guildelines 
for the safe transport of pediatric patients, using Ferno's  Pedi-Mate as an example.

• Use the child’s own car seat for transport, if available. Otherwise, use the EMS agency’s car seat or child restraint system (Pedi-Mate).
• Isopods (pediatric isolation transport units) for transport of children are available through durable medical equipment suppliers.

• If an EMS agency's car seat orPedi-Mate (a restraint that adapts a standard ambulance cot for safe pediatric transport) is used, it will likely be left with the receiving facility and decontaminated..." . 

http://info.fernoems.com/hubfs/Safe-Transport-of-Children-by-EMS-InterimGuidance-08Mar2017-FINAL.pdf?utm_campaign=Pediatric%20Transport&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=50728172&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_cb4ErxNd3Lb0MfyUVsbSQOFnd012O8ZsK-Su9DgisznHxNwqRI4Roe_208GRx1NQpvlgfTaZCCeXWa2wXKgDspgjGVQ&_hsmi=50728172