EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS EXPERIENCE WITH PEDIATRIC DEATH

Based on the hypothesis that managing pediatric death-particularly, co mmunicating with survivors-is extremely difficult for most emergency p hysicians, 122 general emergency physicians at a written board review course were surveyed to assess their attitudes toward pediatric death. Sixty six percent reported that communicating with the family of a ch ild who had died was the most difficult experience in emergency medici ne. Sixty-six percent considered communication with the family of a ch ild who had died to be much more difficult than communication with the family of an adult who had died, Sixty-four percent reported feelings of guilt or inadequacy after unsuccessful pediatric resuscitation, an d 47% reported feeling impaired for the remainder of their shift, Only 8% of physicians were aware of published guidelines regarding managin g pediatric emergency department (ED) deaths, and only 14% of physicia ns had ever had any training in death notification, Ninety two percent of physicians responded that a course directed toward managing the fa mily of a child who had died in the ED would be helpful in dealing wit h this difficult situation. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Compan y.