Resources for Improving Pediatric Readiness and Quality of Care in Rural Communities and Emergency Departments.

Objectives: To share the process and products of an 8-year, federally funded grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration Emergency Medical Services for Children program to increase pediatric emergency readiness and quality of care provided in rural communities located within 2 underserved local emergency medical services agencies (LEMSAs) in Northern California.

Methods: In 2 multicounty LEMSAs with 24 receiving hospital emergency departments, we conducted focus groups and interviews with patients and parents, first responders, receiving hospital personnel, and other community stakeholders. From this, we (a regional, urban children's hospital) provided a variety of resources for improving the regionalization and quality of pediatric emergency care provided by prehospital providers and healthcare staff at receiving hospitals in these rural LEMSAs.

Auricle Schwannoma: Presentation of a Rare Case and Review of Existing Literature.

Schwannomas are extremely rare over auricle. Despite the extensive somatogenic neural innervations of the pinna, schwannomas are never amongst the differentials for a benign auricular mass. Previously published articles have all agreed on the rarity of this lesion occurring over the auricle.

Missed Opportunities for Sedation and Pain Management at a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, India.

Background: Neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) undergo a multitude of painful and stressful procedures during the first days of life. Stress from this pain can lead to neurodevelopmental problems that manifest in later childhood and should be prevented.

Objective: To determine the number of painful procedures performed per day for each neonate, to verify documentation of painful procedures performed, and to, subsequently, note missed opportunities for providing pain relief to neonates.