Policy:
Child abuse is the physical and mental injury,
sexual abuse, negligent treatment, or maltreatment of a child
under the age of 18 by a person who is responsible for the child’s welfare.
The recognition of abuse and the proper reporting is a critical step to
improving the safety of children and preventing child abuse.
Purpose:
Assessment of a child abuse case based upon the
following principles:
·
Protect the
life of the child from harm, as well as that of the EMS team from liability.
·
Suspect that
the child may be a victim of abuse, especially if the injury/illness is not
consistent with the reported history.
·
Respect the
privacy of the child and family.
·
Collect as
much evidence as possible, especially information.
Procedure:
1.
Assess
the child for any psychological characteristics of abuse: excessively passive,
compliant, or fearful; excessively aggressive or physically violent; excessive
crying, fussy behavior, hyperactivity, behavioral disorders.
2.
Assess
the child for any physical signs of abuse. Be especially alert for injuries that
are not consistent with the reported mechanism of injury. The back, buttocks,
genitals, and face are common sites for abusive injury.
3.
Assess
the child for signs and symptoms of neglect, such as: child is inordinately
dirty or inappropriately dressed for weather conditions; evidence of poor child
supervision such as repeated falls, ingestion of harmful substances or no
supervision at all; or an inadequate or harmful environmental situation.
4.
Assess
the child for sexual abuse: Pre-hospital personnel should suspect sexual abuse
in children with torn, stained, or bloody underclothing; who have unexplained
injuries or diseases, are pregnant or have sexually transmitted diseases.