Near-Term Strategies to Improve Pediatric Surge Capacity During Infectious Disease Outbreaks

This report summarizes the methods, limitations, gaps, key findings, and results of the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters Surge Capacity Work Group's assessment of national pediatric surge capacity conducted in late 2014-early 2015.The assessment focused on: the current state of readiness to transport large numbers of critically ill children; the current state of general emergency/ pediatric emergency surge capacity; the current readiness of children’s hospitals to surge during an infectious disease outbreak; and the current state of non-pediatric facilities to care for children in large-scale disease outbreaks. The report also includes a summary of potential mitigation strategies for identified gaps, a review of best practices, and a summary of practical tools that can help healthcare coalitions improve community readiness to care for children.