Omar Abdelaziz Barakat Maaita (1), Moath Ismail Ahmad Mabreh (2), Eyas Shafig Abdel-Karim Hazaimeh (3), Rashed Mustafa Ahmad Al-Sheab (4), Alaa Mohammed Yaseen Al-Shorman (5)
Child mortality in the Emergency Department is among the most emotionally devastating and clinically complicated experiences of healthcare service providers. The phenomenon of pediatric mortality in emergency departments in Jordan, affecting both military and civilian populations, is poorly understood within the framework of the Royal Medical Services (RMS), a key issue in the country's healthcare system, where emergency facilities are crucial. The objective of this research is to examine the clinical, demographic, and operational aspects of pediatric mortality in the emergency department. The purpose of the current study is to determine patterns and systemic failures in the Royal Medical Services (RMS) that cause avoidable deaths by exploring cases in Princess Haya Military Hospital, which, in turn, will have an impact on specific changes in the domain of providing emergency care to children. A retrospective study was carried out on eight deaths of children in the Princess Haya Military Hospital between January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2024. Information was gathered about patient demographics, presenting symptoms, care history trajectories, and systemic or procedural gaps. The majority of children were of age below one year with respiratory distress, seizures, and sepsis presenting as the most frequent. 50% of the children died in the initial hour after arrival, sometimes even before any significant interventions could be given. Lags in care delivery, missing triage records, and a lack of emergency procedures that were child-specific were the frequent issues. These results reveal severe deficiencies in emergency preparedness among paediatrics and indicate that there should be an immediate need to reform the system at the frontline of care.
Highlights
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