Citation

Gonzalez DO, Deans KJ. Semin. Pediatr. Surg. 2017; 26(1): 43-46.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, Center for Surgical Outcomes Research, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children׳s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; Department of Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children׳s Hospital, 700 Children׳s Dr, Columbus, Ohio 43205. Electronic address: Katherine.Deans@nationwidechildrens.org.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1053/j.sempedsurg.2017.01.002

PMID

28302284

Abstract

Over 700,000 children are victims of abuse and neglect each year in the United States. Effective screening programs that entail broad capture of suspected non-accidental trauma (NAT) may help to identify sentinel injuries. This can facilitate earlier detection and psychosocial interventions in hopes of decreasing recurrent NAT, which confers a higher mortality rate. The purpose of this article is to outline essential components of hospital-based NAT screening tools and highlight existing programs. In general, these tools should include several components: education sessions for healthcare providers on how to identify signs of NAT, automated notes or checklists within the electronic medical record to prompt specialty referrals, and a multidisciplinary team of experts that can address the needs of these children in the acute care setting.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Child abuse; Children; Hospital screening; Non-accidental trauma; Pediatric surgery