As parents, the health and well-being of our children are our top priorities. Any sniffle, cough or bruise from our kids worries us to our cores. Could you imagine if your son or daughter suffered a traumatic injury? Unfortunately, this possibility is a reality for far too many parents.
In the United States, pediatric trauma is the No. 1 killer of children. This is heartbreaking, and it’s why I’m working to improve policies so kids can receive better trauma care. Because children have significant anatomical and physiological differences from adults, specialized knowledge is required to diagnose and treat pediatric patients.
According to the National Safety Council, unintentional injuries sustained in one year will have a lifetime cost exceeding $794 billion. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a report saying the total cost of injuries in the United States was $671 billion in 2013, and the cost from children ages 1-18 is around $30 billion.
This is just the financial toll. It doesn’t take into account the emotional toll the loss of a loved one has on a family and community.
There are two primary ways to address trauma: prevention and after injury care. Prevention takes the form of education and safety measures such as seat belts, airbags, back-up cameras, smoke and carbon dioxide detectors and controlled substances education. While increasing preventative measures has greatly reduced death tolls from traumatic injuries, the unfortunate truth is accidents are inevitable. That’s why it’s critical we maintain a robust trauma care system.
After-injury care is what we think of when we picture trauma treatment at hospitals. During this care, emergency medicine practitioners refer to “the golden hour” as the time during which there is the highest likelihood that prompt medical treatment will prevent death or permanent disability.
If a child reaches a certified trauma center within the first hour after injury, he or she has a 25 percent greater chance of survival. Twenty percent of children in the United States, however, live in areas that are more than an hour away from a trauma center.
Despite these systemic problems, the federal government has not looked for ways to improve pediatric trauma care. To begin this conversation, I will be partnering with the Energy and Commerce Committee to hold a briefing in May to raise awareness of the inadequacies in treating pediatric trauma. This briefing will also kick off of our Pediatric Trauma Caucus, a committee I will chair to raise awareness and find bipartisan solutions.
Additionally, with Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, I have commissioned a report from the Government Accountability Office that will identify areas of the country with access issues, best practices for hospitals and trauma centers in treating pediatric patients, and the differences between the distinct systems of care in our country.
Policy leadership is urgently needed to address the epidemic rate at which children are dying from traumatic injuries so we can identify workable solutions.
Our children are our future and it is vital that we provide them with the best care. I remain committed to finding ways to improve our trauma care systems and reduce the alarming number of pediatric deaths each year from trauma injuries.
Rep. Richard Hudson, R-Concord, represents North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District, which currently includes Anson County.