The Pediatric Emergency Department: The Right Tools and Expertise for Your Child

Pediatric care does not follow a one-size-fits-all model and treating children is not the same as treating adults. At Brenner, our approach to care is to look for the specific needs and requirements of each child facing an emergent medical condition and respond accordingly and swiftly. 

Our pediatric ED was designed from the ground up to care for children only. Each diagnostic tool, each surgical device and each treatment tool is made just for children, something that makes a big difference when seconds count and precision is essential.

In many cases, common symptoms may represent a more major condition. Even though your child may have what appears to be a minor condition, it is a good choice to come to Brenner's pediatric ED, where you will have access to more than 120 pediatric specialists - including surgeons, anesthesiologists and orthopaedic specialists - for immediate care, if needed.

If your child is just facing a minor condition, we'll be able to care for him or her accordingly. If his or her condition is more complex, our highly skilled specialists will be immediately available to provide the high-level care needed to help your child heal and get better with the least amount of radiation from X-rays and other diagnostic tests.

When you’re choosing a place to take your child for emergency care, you don’t get a chance to select a doctor. What you’re selecting is a place. At Brenner Children's, our pediatric specialists have made a commitment to caring for children. Be assured that our doctors, whether he or she is a surgeon, radiologist, anesthesiologist, gastroenterologist or other specialist, are highly skilled doctors trained in pediatric care who have made a commitment to caring for children.

Specific Pediatric Care Protocols

Each type of injury or illness requires its own treatment plan. Our pediatric ED utilizes trauma- and disease-specific protocols to provide immediate emergency medical care for conditions and injuries such as diabetes- and asthma-related complications, burns, head and neck trauma, broken bones and many other conditions.

Imaging and Radiology

We use onsite imaging services – and pediatric-trained radiologists – to pinpoint areas of concern. By having direct access to pediatric imaging and radiology capacities in our pediatric ED, we are able to immediately understand and respond to our patients’ medical needs. We also understand that children are still growing, so using minimal amounts of radiation is optimal, something we are able to do with our specially designed CT scanner.

Orthopaedic Care

Brenner’s pediatric ED and orthopaedic specialists care for all types of injuries, including broken and fractured bones, torn ligaments and sprains and strains. After locating the injury, our expert pediatric specialists provide appropriate and immediate care for our pediatric patients.

Conscious Sedation

We utilize conscious sedation to help children undergoing extreme distress from pain or testing procedures that may cause discomfort. We make sure to use the right doses customized to your child’s size and medical need.

Counseling and Support

Social workers and pastoral care professionals are on call at all times to help families at our emergency department. In addition, translators and sexual assault nurses are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Managing Your Child’s Pain and Comfort Levels

Making sure that your child is comfortable, especially when he or she is facing a traumatic experience, is priceless. Caring for a child with an urgent medical need is not just selecting the right antibiotic or surgical procedure; it’s also paying attention to your child’s emotional and physical comfort.

We place the highest priority on pain control; from the moment you walk into our pediatric ED, pain management is a part of the environment you are entering. Our rooms are designed just for children. We have pediatric doses of pain medication readily available and our emergency medicine physicians are ready to provide your child with the right pain medication dose for his or her size and condition to ensure we are able to safely provide diagnosis and treatment, as well as minimize unnecessary pain.

Our doctors and other health care professionals are specifically trained in ways to help children who are anxious about being in an emergency room. We have the medications, tools and training necessary to help minimize that anxiety, and the correct sedation measures to help patients who are facing more serious medical emergencies.