When to send sick children to specialty hospitals

Critically ill children admitted to the pediatric intensive care units of regional medical centers from smaller hospitals are sicker than those admitted directly from those centers' own emergency rooms, a UC Davis study has found. Published in the journal Pediatrics, the study suggests the need for better coordination between smaller hospitals and regional medical centers, including greater use of telemedicine to provide emergency and critical care consultation on when to transfer sick children to larger hospitals. The study, led by pediatric critical care specialist Christopher Gregory examined over 13,000 admissions to pediatric intensive care units between 2001 and 2006 at 20 regional academic medical centers throughout the nation.