Why the US Should Adopt a Universal Health Care Coverage Program

Considerable variation exists among the recommendations given by PCCs in the United States and Canada regarding the management of pediatric benzocaine exposures. The general consensus among our survey respondents was that: 1) the need for observation or any interventions is related to the estimated ingested dose, 2) patients evaluated in a healthcare facility should receive some kind of gastrointestinal decontamination, 3) patients should be observed for several hours (between 2 to 4 hours), 4) the primary signs to observe for are cyanosis, respiratory distress, and altered level of consciousness, 5) arterial blood gas sampling should be obtained on cyanotic patients, even if asymptomatic, and 6) antidotal treatment with methylene blue should be given for methemoglobin levels at or above 20%.