Pediatric emergency medicine specialists are physicians who specialize in both pediatrics and emergency medicine. They must take further training of four to eight years, often called fellowship in the subspecialty category of pediatric emergency medicine specialists. Most of these specialists will be found in hospital emergency rooms and children’s hospitals.

The subspecialty of pediatric emergency medicine specialists was created when advances in the medical community became more knowledgeable about the differences in children versus adult care. The neonatal mortality rate started decreasing due to doctors specializing in the care of these small babies and learning more about congenital defects associated with preterm deliveries. With the advancement in this field, doctors became more skilled in working quickly with small airways and small veins to save lives. Child size medical equipment was built to improve quality care in the hospitals.

The children seen in hospital trauma rooms usually present with acute illnesses or injuries and the doctors main goal is to diagnose emergency conditions and stabilize the patient until further definitive care can be obtained. Some of the procedures performed are lumbar puncture, intubation, and resuscitation. Any and all emergency medical treatments are performed by the pediatric emergency doctor to keep the patient alive until they can be referred to surgery or other places in the hospital. Patients seen in this specialty are infants, children and adolescents that range in age from birth to age eighteen. One of the challenging issues at all times is the guardianship, privacy, legal responsibility, and informed consent. This has to be considered with every pediatric procedure.

Some of the more potentially dangerous injuries and illnesses seen are burns, fractures, lacerations, amputations, respiratory distress, head trauma, hemorrhaging, compound fractures, gunshot wounds, embedded objects, organ failure, and coronary failure.

Pediatric emergency medicine specialists in Jackson, MS have advanced hospitals and medical establishments in the treatment of children to choose to work with, therefore making it a very good place for any child to be treated for traumatic injuries and illnesses.

For anyone considering entering this field for a career must understand that this is a very physically demanding and emotionally draining practice to take up. The doctor will have to deal with families with very sick children every day and watch the anguish that families go through along with their very sick babies and children. Children with cancer can be especially emotionally draining. Although, it can also be a very rewarding career because the physician will also be saving lives of children that possibly would not have lived without their pediatric emergency practice.