Call 800-554-9550 for
Pediatric Services
Emergency Care
In conjunction with Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, St. Anthony’s opened a separate, 10,000 square-foot pediatric emergency department in December 2007 adjacent to the main emergency department.
The new Pediatric Emergency Department includes:
- 11 pediatric treatment rooms
- one trauma room
- one trauma/orthopedic procedure room
- three 23-hour observation rooms
- a child-friendly design
- Cardinal Glennon pediatric emergency physicians
The relationship with Cardinal Glennon, which began in 2003, has enabled St. Anthony’s to offer and expand premier pediatric services on campus, including emergency care, neonatology services, outpatient pediatric surgery care and pediatric specialty outpatient clinics.
Treating Kids - Not “Little Adults”
Dr. Cora Orphe says appropriate equipment and expertise make the difference in pediatric care.
A Institute of Medicine study notes that 27 percent of emergency room visits in this country involve children, yet only 6 percent of all emergency departments are fully equipped to treat the children who come through their doors.
Children are definitely not little adults. Children have different anatomy and physiology, which regularly change as they age from infancy to adulthood.
Bone growth, heart and respiratory rates, and blood pressure levels all vary as children age. There are five classifications just in growth plate fractures in children. Major orthopedic issues could develop down the road if bones heal incorrectly as they grow larger.
Medications for adults often can’t be used in children due to dangerous side effects or lack of testing in children. Medical equipment used to treat pediatric emergencies also is important. A report by the Illinois Department of Public Health noted that appropriately sized emergency equipment is as vital as physician expertise.
At St. Anthony’s, the Pediatric Emergency Department maintains color-coded medical equipment sorted by a child’s weight and size, and all of the Cardinal Glennon pediatricians are certified in both Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Advanced Trauma Life Support.
When young children can’t talk to tell you what’s wrong, the right training, facility and equipment make all the difference.
For information or a physician referral, please call 800-554-9550 or visit our online physician referral.
At St. Anthony's, our vision is to be the area's premier health care organization — and your first choice for health care services.