Disaster preparedness: hospital decontamination and the pediatric patient--guidelines for hospitals and emergency planners.

In recent years, attention has been given to disaster preparedness for first responders and first receivers (hospitals). One such focus involves the decontamination of individuals who have fallen victim to a chemical agent from an attack or an accident involving hazardous materials. Children often are overlooked in disaster planning. Children are vulnerable and have specific medical and psychological requirements. There is a need to develop specific protocols to address pediatric patients who require decontamination at the entrance of hospital emergency departments. Currently, there are no published resources that meet this need. An expert panel convened by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene developed policies and procedures for the decontamination of pediatric patients. The panel was comprised of experts from a variety of medical and psychosocial areas. Using an iterative process, the panel created guidelines that were approved by the stakeholders and are presented in this paper. These guidelines must be utilized, studied, and modified to increase the likelihood that they will work during an emergency situation.